A new law is needed: Government shutdown means No one
gets paid...not any government official President: Congress and
Justice Department..
And what excuse is there to do so....national emergency...
The only national emergency is to get rid of Trump ASAP !!!!
4
"Last week, Ms. Pelosi rescinded her invitation for the president to address Congress while the government was still shuttered, and has said subsequently that the two sides will work to find an agreeable date in the future to allow time to prepare."
Trump should not be given an invitation to a platform in Congress from which to stoke the fires of hatred.
He has his Nuremberg-style rallies to do that.
Pelosi is under no obligation to grant Trump and the GOP any favors. She should try to remember what they did to Obama, and to the Supreme Court.
3
Pelosi has been hailed as strong, but I see her so afraid of the far left, that she can't make a moderate deal.
2
@TD
Pelosi represents the old guard of conservative Democrats. She is far behind the progressive wing of the party and has been far too conciliatory towards the GOP.
Please try to remember how the GOP has treated the Democrats.
1
Little Donnie's first shutdown cost the US economy $3 billion that we won't get back. With the threat of a recession looming, McConnell must make it clear to Trump that another shutdown is not acceptable.
1
Good! Now the republicans can get right on assigning members to committees, instead of trying to hold up investigations by leaving them empty!
Hillary and the FBI have been investigated to death, with no results, so that Republicans could deflect from any investigations of Trump, or Russians.
So the Republicans, who scream that "liberals" are trampling on free speech rights on campus, are now going to trample of free speech and actions rights of everybody when it comes to Israel.
I expect a First Amendment lawsuit - freedom of speech and speech can be counted as other expressions - such as speaking with your money...
3
Not much will change in the senate unless Mr. Mitch McConnell stops acting as Mr. Trump's poodle.
4
The shutdown costed $11 billion dollars..... thats almost exactly twice the cost of the border wall. If democrats would have approved it, this border wall would have been built and $5 billion would be left over to do whatever with... Dems are so silly
4
Not as silly as an ineffectual wall to placate uninformed Republican voters.
2
@Tom
The shutdown falls squarely on the shoulders of Trump and the GOP.
Those "silly" Democrats refused to give in to blackmail.
1
The picture of Pelosi surrounded by young, attentive women speaks volumes! An amazing photo from Erin Schaff.
5
Can someone ask Donald Trump where are the reports and evidence of women being duct taped around their mouths, in the back of trucks and then brought into the country, after a number of left turns and right turns and left turns or whatever?
4
In case you think the Republcans are down for the count, think about the rider bill they've added regarding sanctions on Israel. From this reporting, it's nothing more than an attempt to divide Demcrats along ethnic fault-lines. It's eqaully disturbing that they are heaving slurs at an individual member of congress, whose Muslim identity is not lost on Republican strategists. Scary, vile, not what America needs right now.
1
I am glad they are hunkering down to get to the people's agenda which is why they were all voted in.
One bill they didn't mention that is important to America is to #NOMOREGOVERNMENTSHUTDOWNS.
1
If donald trump would rescind the tax breaks he gave himself and other rich people, and apply that money instead to the wall, i would think he was serious about the need for a wall. In reality, there is no national emergency there. In reality, he wants to bleed us dry, no healthcare (where is the "cheaper and better plan he promised),cutting Social Security and Medicare and paying for a wall (where is mexico, as he promised?). He lies to the people constanty. His actions tell us he is set on concentrating power and wealth at the top, with himself as top oligarch.
4
Here's the deal Nancy Pelosi should offer Trump. Make him admit on camera from the Oval Office that he manufactured the border crisis, that illegal immigration is down, that there is no invasion, no crime and drugs coming across the border, no women gagged with duct tape, no crisis except him wanting to fulfill a promise hastily made. Make him give an exact accounting as to who will be hired to build the wall, which cronies of his or his cabinet will be profiting at the public's trough. And have him explain why the funds previously appropriated have not been spent. Then and only then would he get the funds.
3
I'd like to remind everyone that Nancy Pelosi is third in line of the presidential succession. The photograph accompanying this article shows a supremely confident Democratic House Speaker surrounded by a kowtowing obedient mainstream media ready to do her bidding whenever she snaps her fingers. In her mind Speaker Pelosi is already President Pelosi.
1
Eleven people in this photo, representing (other than the Speaker) staff, security, and journalists (mostly journalists). Notice anything? Women are writing laws and writing about the women who write the laws--heck, yes!
3
The private sector workers are not getting any pay raises of significance. But the Federal workers deserve pay raises because...? Congress deserved their pay raise because...? When the government treats itself as elitists, we have a problem.
4
@Ma
Private sector pay raises depend upon workers organizing themselves into unions and demanding them.
What's gonna' change? Dems cannot rule by House alone. Mitch rules Senate where Dems are powerless. Nothing 'progressive' gets by Mitch, and if it did, Trump vetoes. So, what's gonna' change?
3
@Cody McCall repeated, loud, well- covered public humiliation and shaming of the GOP anti-human agenda, and winning in 2020 because finally everyone sees what a bunch of fraudsters and 1per centers the GOP is.
6
@grace thorsen
It is impossible to either humiliate or shame a Republican. Unlike Democrats they don’t feel guilty about being alive or being an American.
2
And how does winning in 2020 help things now?
1
"ambitious legislation to expand voting rights"
Why is this ambitious? It's a basic principle of democracy.
9
Senate bill 1, the anti-free speech bill, is entirely unconstitutional. It's to be voted on soon. Two prominent Jewish members, Senator Feinstein (D) and Senator Sanders (I), oppose the bill on those grounds, and they are correct. Senator Schumer (D) and Senator McConnell (R), on the other hand, want to restrict and actually punish peaceful measures of protest such as boycotts--historically used against injustice--because boycotts are now being used successfully to peacefully protest illegal Israeli settlements on Palestinian land. Whatever one's thoughts on the issue, we should all be concerned that our Congress wants to remove key constitutional rights to free speech and even to punish those who exercise them, and we should let our senators know not to touch those rights.
7
One bipartisan bill that should be put to the top of the priority list during these next 3 weeks should be a law that disallows shutdowns. It should maintain agency funding at current levels while reducing legislators pay incrementally over time until they can learn to compromise and pass agency budgets. This law should be presented to Trump with a veto proof majority since it's clear that the vast majority of Americans oppose the use of shutdowns for political purposes. Those politicians unwilling to sign on to this legislation should be highlighted and made to explain why any elected official should have the authority to use a shutdown to get what they want while harming federal workers, the American people and the US economy. That's not the way a democracy should operate.
5
Security: A job that pays all the bills. Being able to take time off work when sick. Receiving necessary medical care regardless of income. A monthly retirement check that is not dependent on the whims of the stock market. Clean air and safe food and drinking water. A climate hospitable to human life.
4
There really doesn't need to be a Wall issue. Trump should immediately declare the national emergency and order the Wall be constructed. He doesn't need Congress' permission, nor funding from Congress in the traditional method of receiving the ok from Congress in the form of a bill for him to pass into law. With that done, he can notify Congress to negotiate the funding package for $5T, or whatever amount he states. When he receives the bill with the funding, Trump can cancel the executive order based on national security reasons, and the Wall continues to be built. If the Wall is stopped by the courts, then that is no different than not receiving funds from Congress.
1
The focus here in the current immigration debate is ilegal immigration—the vast majority of which involves migrants traveling to our country for better economic opportunities. The Trump Administration, however, sells the border debate as being about security, or lack thereof. People so desperate for resources and opportunity that they will trek across Latin America on foot are not a threat to anyone.
Mick Mulvaney of all people should know that when a government shutdown becomes a viable option to achieve policy objectives, it’s a sign that the administration is not capable of governing effectively via any other means besides chaos.
3
@Tony C
Mick Mulvaney, like the M.I.A. Mitch McConnell and just about every one else in this Robber Baron of an administration couldn't care two jots about the effects of a government shutdown on the average hard-working American.
And all this will be proven when Trump shuts it down again in three weeks.
3
About Trump's vanity Wall: Two of our married children and spouses went to Mexico for several days last week. They said the Mexicans were selling t-shirts that said:
"Keep calm, you're on the fun side of Trump's Wall."
And I still strongly suspect that Trump's Wall eventually will be used to keep Americans in (like the Berlin Wall did for East Germany), especially if the GOP manages to get itself elected again.
3
A few items that should be on the agenda in no particular order: 1) Stand firm against Trump 2) No State of the Union Speech during this 15 days. 3) Flood the Senate with legislation that will harm the Republicans politically if they take no action on it. 4) Subpoena everyone and everything the Republicans previously refused to subpoena immediately. 5) Aggressively advance the Democrats and the liberal agenda. Trump's going to shut down the government again. He'll throw Republicans and America at-large under the bus to save himself.
4
The wall takes away our funds for infrastructure. The wall is a diversion to avoid passing much-needed legislation.
Chaos is the theme of this "imperium" presidency.
5
Trump said he would be proud to own the shutdown and he meant it.It turned press attention to the shutdown and the crisis it caused. It took some attention away from the "Russia thing" and caused the Congress to have to slow down in their investigations because many staff were not available to prepare research and subpoenas.Slowing down the work of the House was in his best interest.If the Roger Stone inquiry gets hot , you can be sure he will declare a national emergency so that there will be another crisis drawing attention away from him and the Mueller probe.
2
I heard Nancy Pelosi reneged on her promise to give Donald Trump a chance to deliver his State of the Union message before Congress after the government shutdown ended.
This isn't over yet. Round Two of the Nancy and Donald tug of war will commence after President's Day. There should be a new Constitutional amendment forbidding the government to close because the opposing sides are engaged in some pointless hissy fit.
@sharon5101
"Pointless", you say? -- I don't know about you but I find a constitutional government ruled by fiat quite disturbing.
It's about time there was some semblance of opposition with a president who rules by his own whims and fancies.
And the only "hissy fits" are coming by courtesy of his relentless tweets.
4
@sharon5101
The government shutdown has not ended. It's only on sabbatical.
Pelosi has no obligation to give Trump a platform from which to spew his hatred and lies.
1
the budget should be the number one thing on the agenda. for the rest of the democrat agenda they can pass all bills they want but if they can't pass the senate or get past a presidential veto they are better off not wasting their time.
Now that the government can look forward, if only for a few weeks, there are 3 things Pelosi and the House can do:
1. Pass the bills to keep the government functioning. Take them to McConnell's office, with the news media and cameras in tow, and make sure it is clear that the ball is in his court. Do not accept more shutdowns or conferences that to encourage deviation from what a bipartisan Congress already approved months ago.
2. Explain clearly to the nation what can be done with the $5 billion that Trump wants for his nonsensical wall. Couch it in terms of what we WON'T GET for police and security, education, health and the environment if we do get a wall.
3. Start the hearings; do not let Trump have any space to recover from the death spiral he and the kleptocratic Republican regime have put themselves in.
5
This latest political skirmish revealed the media's power to mold and shape public opinion.
The coverage was decidedly in favor of the democratic party. It left little doubt about the media's role in advocating for liberal causes and establishing a critical tone against conservative points of view.
Not one single critical article or question about democrats' change in position about a barrier at the southern border was published by the msm. Yet, President Trump's words about Mexico paying for the wall was repeated ad nauseam. The media reinforced that this story was about the President' unreasonable position leading to the government shut down.
By any standard or measure, there is a crisis at the southern border. Call it humanitarian or immigration crisis, there is one. Yet, immigration reform including a barrier at the southern border was not given even scant attention.
Instead the media overreacted against white catholic teenage boys and portrayed them as racist aggressors. The real story was the opposite, the white kids were the victims of racism. And then there was the Buzzfeed story about President Trump directing one of his personal attorneys to lie to congress; a feeding frenzy of "if true".
No doubt the media's credibility has suffered, but yet members of the media still have the power to shape public opinion. At what point the credibility will be spent? Or will wishful thinking and good motives will be the media's guiding principles?
2
@F1Driver
If you mistrust the media so much, why do you believe them after they correct their stories?
Where do you get your news from, if not the media?
The Democratic agenda might be tweeked.
1. Raise pay for civilian federal employees: should be limited to positions where salary and benefits are less than private sector or where recruitment is difficult.
2. The Paycheck Fairness Act and the Civil Rights laws should be replaced with a law that requires all workers to be treated fairly (as is generally available in union jobs). This would give white men the same rights as women and minorities, something denied by current law.
3. Middle East sanctions against Israel: should not be done to appease Palestinian rights activists in the U.S.
4. Election reform: should focus on “optional” electronic voting enabling people to vote early but with their ballot transmitted on Election Day. Those that want to bring ID to a poling place should enjoy much shorter lines.
5. Political giving: should be as transparent as comments on social media. There may be a place for both “anonymous” giving and anonymous comments. The candidate or political organization must report the identity of all that is known and provide an accounting of anonymous donors (who can not have undue influence by reason of being unknown).
6. Partisan gerrymandering: is a privilege of the elected majority party. Why should district lines be drawn to make it easier for the minority party?
The Republican agenda for border security, immigration reform, infrastructure, prescription drug pricing and retirement security is more robust and vital.
3
Where exactly on the agenda is the real national security issue of gun control which faces citizens of this country everyday? For years it has been conveniently relegated to the back burner by legislators driven by special interests and the NRA?
I personally feel more unsafe than ever knowing I may be the next victim of a home-bred mass shooter as gun control legislation remains too controversial an issue to bring to the floor.
Those caravans of men, women and children pose absolutely no threat to me and my family and I strongly reject the insistent fear mongering cry from Washington that we need walls and barriers to "keep America safe."
5
Referring to the photograph accompanying the story, it looks so ridiculous. Why does it take so many people doing the same thing when at most all it takes is two? One person records, one person snaps a few photos, you share them with your colleagues and everyone maintains some dignity. There are no scoops in the daily hallway walk. At most, just sound bites and filler photos.
1
What’s interesting about that photo at the top of the story is that it’s almost all women. Maybe a quarter century ago in a similar situation with a gaggle of reporters following the Speaker of the House through the Capitol, there might not have been any women in the photo.
That’s pretty awesome, I think.
5
@digeridoo
Now all we have to do is continue to work on a diversity that is truly representative of the population of this country.
But yes, it's still pretty awesome...and long overdue.
2
This new Congress will be a food fight; Pelosi's approval rate is 30%, according to newest ABC poll; lower than Trump's!
Howard Schultz, bring it on; we need national as well as international peace; down with both parties.
2
@JRS
An approval rating means nothing unless accompanied by who is doing the voting.
Progressives are not enamored of Pelosi, but their objections to her are far different from the right's objections. They cannot be lumped together.
Love that photo! Great picture.
3
As a USG civil service retiree, I can tell you that many long term civil service employees aren't about to blithely leave for private employment because they'd probably be forfeiting their civil service retirement benefits.
4
@Giskander I agree all this talk of 'looking for another job' and now they are 'disillusioned with working for the gov because this can happen' is totally disingenuous, to my eye..They are NOT leaving these government jobs..In California, we had three years of furlough/reduced working hours after the 2008 crash - did any one leave because of that? Of course not!.
1
It is good that the majority of taxpayers are actually less knowledgeable than their representatives. It has been presented by Republicans that government overspending cannot be continued. However, the supposedly conservative Republicans not only will increase the national debt at the highest rate in history during a period of economic growth (close to $1 trillion this year) they will even pay for services which were never made by the recipients. Those who were on layoff due to the very dumb closing of so many programs and did not work should not receive any payment. What has happened to the Trump party? When it comes to fiscal, and soon to be monetary, policies how can anyone who claims to be conservative make such grievous, unjustified overspending, errors? Now, where will Pelosi go with this one. Will she simply be as dumb as the Republicans or will she prove to have some common sense and begin to fix a government system which is quickly heading towards bankruptcy? Oh, if she does try to begin to fix the mess she will have to find some way to educate her taxpayers as well.
I think that Trump's wall promise he made and makes to what is called Trump's base is a manipulative ploy by Trump, as well as his kind of capitalist cronies , the types of capitalists who pay workers extremely low wages.
Why a ploy?
The "wall" "says": We will keep out cheap workers from other countries; and we will hire you and pay you the low wages we always have paid you: So vote for me, and support me: Or, we will continue to bring in low low wage employees from across the boarder.
1
Democrats made a huge mistake not ending the shutdown on their terms. Should have funded all remaining parts except Homeland Security through the end of the fiscal year and Homeland Security through February. Told trump take it or leave it and you will be responsible when the first airliner crashes if you don't. Instead, they blinked and we still have a mess. Anyone who thinks either of these clown parties is going to save us from ourselves is dreaming.
2
Three weeks to go and on Feb 15, 2019 President Trump will shut down the government again if the House doesn’t give him $5.7B for the wall across the southern border.
Speaker Pelosi should respect the fact that President Trump made his fortune of $3.7B (according to Forbes magazine) in the high stakes game of Manhattan real estate. He has done many high powered deals and in this particular situation Speaker Pelosi is out of her depth.
His final negotiating position is that if he does not get funding for the wall from Congress he will declare an emergency, get the money from the Defence Department budget and have the Army Corps of Engineers supervise the building of the wall.
You are out of your league, Speaker Pelosi and it will just be best if you give President Trump the money. Missiles no longer fly over Japan and North Korea no longer explodes H-bombs. Kim Jong-un learned and you will learn too.
2
@John Murray
It's laughable to praise Trump for his deals.
He has left behind millions of dollars of debt to unpaid creditors, a slew of bankrupt enterprises, and more than a few cases of outright fraud that are still under investigation.
As President Lincoln said, “a country divided against itself cannot stand.” All political parties must come together as one America, under God, and maintain correct decency and morality for the sake of our little children and the future of our country.
Why does separation of church and state exist? Blessed be those that believe in His name: who are born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
2
Dems might want to point out that shutting down the Coast Guard, the FDA, the SBA, the EPA, the FAA—and E-Verify (!) threatened the safety of all Americans far more than not having more wall. Stop calling it a “government shutdown”, keep pointing out that Trump was (and is) willing to make Americans less safe in order to get his way.
3
Wow I have so many thoughts from this article. Two major ones are:
1. While I understand the need to get other things done, the priority should be to get something both Democrats and Republicans can pass regarding border security (and that Trump would ok) because otherwise, we're just looking at another shutdown in 3 weeks. Doing these other things isn't helpful when the big elephant in the room isn't addressed first.
2. I am very intrigued by the Paycheck Fairness Act--how would this be enforced? My company doesn't make salaries transparent and we have merit based raises, as I would imagine a lot of place do, so how does one guarantee equal pay between men and women exist at every step along the way, especially if people have different qualifications...? I'm really curious.
2
I used like many others to think that Nancy, as the Fake President calls the House Speaker, was from the wrong generation.
But for Trump she's exactly right.
Young Donald is very afraid of Nanny, which is how we'll all soon think of Nancy.
1
@Martin
"The only thing we have to fear, is fear itself."
-- Franklin Delano Roosevelt
1
What I'd like to know is how Mitch McConnell can allow President Trump to concoct some phony National Security Crisis of his own making to steal funding from other parts of government to pay for his Border Wall, if a deal is agreed upon that he doesn't like, which sounds exactly like what Donald Trump is trying to lay the ground work for happening.
Mitch McConnell has been enabling Donald Trump's incompetence to the point where he is setting up a dangerous precedent of a President that is so incompetent and unwilling to work out bipartisan deals with honesty and integrity, because Trump's word in meaningless and can't be trusted.
3
@Chico
McConnell is part of the neo-fascist cabal that has taken over the Republican Party.
He's successfully maneuvered the Supreme Court into an arm of the alt-right.
He's delighted to have a chaotic, clueless infant in the White House, whom he can derail any time he wants.
The cynicism of the Trump regime has no end. To think that there has been nothing learned from the longest shutdown in US history makes a statement, as does the arrogant and callous treatment of federal workers. Evidently these "little people" are beneath contempt, as are the millions of Americans who depend on a working government.
2
It seems that the White House and President will have to come up with real facts to prove that the Southern Boarder is a great Emergency for the Country at large. The problem seems to be one of having enough law enforcement and judicial officials to deal with the crime when and where it happens in those critical places not just along the boarder but also those other cities that are having problems. Just as there are not sufficient number of teachers hired and DHS employees hired to make for efficient services for the public's good. When budgets are cut, taxes cut and agencies not properly funded, we can expect emergencies to take place. We the people are responsible for the emergencies by our complacency and allowing career politicians to game the system.
9
Someone mentioned passing veto proof bipartisan legislation banning future government shutdowns. Good Idea but how do they do that when they are now engaged in revenge politics?
One way that the idea might work is to add to the legislation that Congress forfeit their pay, not just postpone until the shutdown ends, but actually lose the money altogether. Otherwise there is no incentive to negotiate which was proven during the last month or so. The Democrats went on vacation to Puerto Rico and Nancy Pelosi wanted to go to the middle east. To the Presidents credit, whom I am not a real fan of, stayed in Washington and at least tried to give the impression that he cared about the 800,000.
My real fear is that they will not come to an agreement over the next three weeks, the President will declare an emergency and secure the border using other funds battling the courts along the way, and the House will spend the next 2 years investigating the President and what ever else they can think of and compete with themselves to see who will win the 2020 nomination. I don't see any meaning full legislation on the horizon.
2
"The House will turn to legislation high on the Democrats’ priority list this week, including a bill to raise pay for civilian federal employees."
Are senators and congresspeople "civilian federal employees"?
1
There are millions of civilian federal employees all over the country, doing all kinds of different jobs. One of them is your mail person. One is the person who helps you get your replacement social security card. So what's your point?
@Majortrout
Donald Trump, the Republican Senate and the rest of the Congress are but a few of the federal employees who were continually paid during this government shutdown.
The greatest hypocrisy of all lies in Trump's claims that he wants to secure the nation's borders, but at the same time he called for the C.B.P. (Customs and Border Protection) and the T.S.A. (Transportation Security Administration), to keep on working without getting paid.
Go figure.
1
"Divided government" and "unified government" are old Paul Ryan talking points to further his notion that single-party GOP rule was preferable to a more participatory, more democratic two-party system.
Not only was government seldom "unified" in 2017-2018 under Trump/the GOP, it was, in fact, often "divided." That's why the President never got his border wall.
Millions of Americans worked very hard to flip the House of Representatives in 2018 so we would have a check on power and single-party rule. I was one of them. This new balance of power may well save our democracy.
Moreover, in 2017, I did not spend 20 hours a week protesting, registering voters, calling voters and canvassing in Alabama for Democratic Sen. Doug Jones because I wanted "divided government." I did it beacause I wanted a voice in a representative, democratic two-party system.
Objectively and accurately, our Congress is now a two-party body. It is neither divided, or unified (value judgements). Why is this so hard for otherwise savvy journalists to see?
7
Because of all this wall garbage, they can't even begin to work on climate change.. What a shonda. Get it together, elected officials, you need to act on climate change!
8
WE THE PEOPLE must have some patience. It took the International Mafia 0.01% Robber Baron/Radical religion Good Old Boys cabal 40+ years to get control of OUR United States of America. Now one branch - OUR U.S. House of Representatives - has some power. The other three - OUR Senate, OUR white house and OUR U.S. Supreme Court are under Robber Baron control.
WE must do OUR jobs by hiring/electing only Socially Conscious Women and men to manage OUR government and courts. They will help US preserve/restore true democracy in OUR United States of America.
12
What happens upon arriving at February 15 will be interesting. Will there be some agreement on another round of government financing, or not. As the President is fond of sayng, "we will see."
In hindsight, the government shutdown appears to have achieved one of its purposes, to slow down, or impede the Democratic Party agenda in the House.
It was suggested by one observer that the shutdown by Trump, the waiting for the Dems to take control of the House so the president could have a foil, was not a means to anything, other than a round of political theater, and an opportunity to shrink government.
The shutdown was the objective; it was the end plan, but there wasn't really any "plan," just a typical, chaotic, and convulsive effort to control the national narrative.
Can the president afford another round of shutdown? "We'll see."
2
I would like to see success in current negotiations over border security. I hope to see democrats put forth an offer that actually increases spending over the 5.7 billion Trump wants, but allocates it for personnel, technology and fencing in appropriate areas according to recommendations put forth by experts in the field and includes a DACA solution. If they do that it shows they are serious about border security-gives even more money than asked and gets DACA fix-i.e. pathway to citizenship. If republicans reject it out of hand-democrats will hold the moral high ground and, I believe, voter approval. If democrats refuse to put forth good faith offer, we will look obstructionist and there will be blow back.
8
Democrats already have agreed to more than that in common sense border security spending. Trump agreed to sign it, and then reneged after a visit from Miller and members of the freedom caucus.
Trump doesn't care about immigrants. He hires them as cheap labor. He has for decades.
Trump couldn't even remember to talk about immigration until someone gave him the wall idea to keep him focused. He only took it up because his hate cult got so fired up by it.
4
@woodworker2 How much taxpayer money must be spent to show seriousness? More important, I believe, is to spend the money intelligently, i.e., improved technology not a stupid wall. And steps to deal with the spiking of asylum seeking. Not to change the rules to make it more difficult to receive asylum, rather improve the process so it doesn't take so long to get a ruling as well as decent conditions for asylum seekers.
2
@woodworker2
The US desperately needs infrastructure maintenance and modernization, national healthcare, climate change regulations, and the reining in of ever-expanding income inequality.
All this border nonsense is a distraction. There's no crisis, no emergency, no rampant crime crossing over, and no stealing of American jobs.
Every year our budget includes billions automatically sent to Israel as if they were one of our states. Then there are the billions also sent to other countries for their stability and security. I even see people advocating we should send more money to Central and South America for their stability,just ignoring all the money we already send and the huge debts we forgave a few decades ago.
Yet somehow 5 billion for a wall is a big deal? There are many communities in America that would like a respite from drugs and gangs. Just pretend it is going to some foreign country, that should help it pass.
6
@Hellen
Drugs and gangs aren't pouring over the southern border.
Drugs and gangs are made/formed right here. Not to mention all the people who are shooting up banks, schools, malls, etc.
A wall will not make you safer.
I agree with you, however, in that we do send billions overseas to help our allies, and we should scrutinize that. But we shouldn't use it as an excuse to waste $6B on a pointless wall that will not do anything but be a monument to racism and xenophobia.
3
@Hellen We would also have to pretend that it would work but we, i.e. a solid majority of Americans, know it wouldn't. Those of us who dwell in reality know that most illegal drugs come through ports of entry hidden in legal shipments so therefore a wall would provide no respite at all.
I invite you to return to reality. Check out if my claim about drugs is true and begin to actually think again.
3
@Jack Toner I deal with reality and so do communities plagued by drugs and gang activity brought in by illegals, including those coming across the border. I truly believe the cartels are financing resistance to the wall. Just as they control politics and the media south of the border.
In opening the shutdown government there is no winner or looser. The real looser is the country for 6 billion loss of money.Common sense should have prevailed and threats to shut down the government over issues to be resolved by talks or democratic means was responsible. Do not keep talking about shutdown or emergency declaration from ego .Let the senate decide what to do and the President should start taking care of other important issues concerning the people;education,poverty,business and foreign aid and relations.
2
It's time we, the 800,000 gov employees who bore the brunt of Trump's debacle, weighed into this debate. If Trump decides on Shutdown II, ATC, TSA, IRS and all other affected workers need to immediately walk off the job.
Let Wilbur Ross work a control tower and see how insignificant "the 1/3 of 1% of GDP" people are (his statement). Let Ivanka and Jared work the TSA lines at JFK w/o pay and see how they like it.
My daughter went w/o epilepsy drugs for a week placing her at extreme risk. It's time the fat cats lived in the real world.
34
@Sharon K
"It's time we, the 800,000 gov employees who bore the brunt of Trump's debacle, weighed into this debate."
You can all do that in November of 2020 along with the millions of private contractors that just got completely ripped off.
3
I ask a simple question.
If you were an innocent president, wouldn't you be incensed that even one person in your campaign was indicted?
Wouldn't you stand up and express your outrage?
Of course you would.
If you were innocent.
Even the speaker of the House posts this on twitter:
Nancy Pelosi
Verified account @SpeakerPelosi
Jan 25
What does Putin have on @realDonaldTrump, politically, personally or financially?
11
Nancy Pelosi has shown Trump, McConnell and Schumer to be the ineffective, self centered, effete twerps that they are. Keep it up!
11
@John MD,
Nancy Pelosi's national approval rating is unbelievably much lower than Trump's.
1
@JRS
Now. All you have to do is reveal your sources of information -- Most of us can figure the rest out for ourselves.
1
@JRS
That's because her rating includes input from both left and right, but for very different reasons.
Lumping them together produces a meaningless rating.
Democrats are divided between the old guard, a la Pelosi, and the new progressives.
national emergencies: 1. Climate Change, rising sea levels and other changes associated with climate are a national security issue and have devastating consequences. This should be number one priority of elected officials. 2. gun violence, 40,000 Americans died last year from gun violence, rightwing conspiracy theories state on an unsubstantiated basis that as many as 7,000 deaths occur as a result of illegal immigrants - ergo, gun violence a much bigger problem. 3. Foreign and domestic interference is US democracy. And 4, dislocation of unskilled labor by automation, we can blame illegal immigrants, tariffs and globalization all we want but we need our elected officials, eventually, to address the real problem - automation, and what goes with it, income disparity and the disgusting greed and immorality 9f the super rich.
12
@JH You got the first one right, but for me, the second or third should be health care reform, and dislocation of unskilled labor by automation, number 4, is not on my list at all. How about protect our previously protected areas, like the atlantic coast and AnWR, from oil drilling, as number four. Much more important to me than automation.
1
real national emergencies of the GOP: taxes are too high, especially on unearned income; not enough guns; moral ruination because women have a legal right to abortion; the war on Christmas; onerous regulations preventing anything short of murder in the struggle for increased quarterly profits; non Christians acting like they belong in our Christian nation with full rights; no new, expensive wars to supply; too few Trump branded hotel rooms and condos in the capitols of our adversaries. brought to you by the producers of the Real Housewives, so you know you can believe every word is true, thank the Lord.
2
@grace thorsen
Automation displaces millions of workers and increases profits for the rich.
Income inequality in the US — and the world, for that matter — is a sign of who holds the real power, and who therefore is most likely to exercise it by dictatorial means.
If working people controlled the automation it would be different. They would benefit by being able to work fewer hours for the same pay.
We should all be very concerned about who owns everything.
Pelosi should patiently wait for Trump and McConnell to present their version of a bill.
1
This can all be easily resolved with a simple geography history lesson for our big brained really smart well educated President of the United States.
America is not Mexico. Mexicans are not Americans. Dollars are not pesos.
Puerto Ricans are Americans. Hawaii is in America. Hawaiians including Barack Obama are Americans. Czechs and Slovenians are not Americans.
8
when Mexico ultimately pays for the wall, will it be in pesos or dollars? will Wilbur Ross or Steve Mnuchin make a commission on the currency exchange? or would the US just accept taking Mexico's oil under the guidance of Dick Chaney?
2
What is the House inatelligence committee doing to expose The President’s Russian connections?
3
@Alex Taft
Waiting for Russian-Republican stalling, obstruction, criminality and failure to seat themselves on the committee to cease.
7
@Alex Taft
They're probably waiting for the rest of the FACTS and EVIDENCE to further reveal themselves....it won't be too long now.
Congress will try? And here I thought that for two months they all have been focused on getting a budget passed. But I do recall that recently, dozens of Democrats did enjoy a nice long vacation in Puerto Rico paid for by lobbyists.
3
@Robert,Everyone deserves a vacation. But Puerto Rico was not for a vacation - it was to see first hand the continued devastation that has yet to be addressed by this inept administration. Trump's remedy was to throw paper towels and tell Puerto Rican's, nature's fury that ravaged the island was their fault...
2
@Robert Williams Could you be any sillier? There was a budget ready to go, Trump had signaled he'd sign it and then President Coulter said no. Eventually Trump remembered that he's the President and signed the original legislation.
And, of course, Republican members of congress never go on junkets.
You could try to use the brains the Good Lord gave you.
4
Allowing Trump to impose his will stemming from his powerful position, however unreasonable, has to be stopped either by a new legislation or any other means to spare imminent danger to this country if not worldwide.
11
@nf: The Congress holds all the high cards. The only real question is how deeply these representatives of the people will abase themselves in subservience to Trump.
3
remember the limbo? how low can you go? that's why they say our our government has been in limbo.
I think everyone thinks there are parts of our Southern might benefit from some sort of border barrier. Pelosi should tell Trump in writing that the House Democrats will not vote for any border security legislation that asks for a wall/fence/steel slat structure without specifying the following...
A. What is the design of this wall/fence/steel slat structure per engineering drawings that are included in the proposal?
B. How much per linear foot will this wall/fence/steel slat structure cost per bids from three or more contractors?
C. Where on our Southern border will this wall/fence/steel slat structure be installed and how many linear feet will be required for each location?
The Navy doesn't come to Congress and say, "We need $13 Billion for a boat." They say, "We want Newport News Shipbuilding to build a Ford-class aircraft carrier to supplement our fleet in the Mediterranian.
10
@Mark
The idea of a wall is itself ludicrous.
The details don't matter when the whole thing is a farce.
Hopefully with both Democrats and Republicans eager to show they can govern and power split between the House and Senate we will actually see some bipartisan legislation pass and the crazy freedom caucus sidelined.
5
will somebody explain the difference between the Freedom Caucus and the Confederate States of America?
While the media spent the weekend declaring winners and losers and ignoring anything to do with good government, here's what transpired as they predictably declared Pelosi winner. Trump stole her first month. He took her next three weeks, as well. We do not know that she has any agenda beyond a personal contest with Trump, which, as the last 35 days demonstrated, is primarily about posturing and and taking extreme positions that no one can invest in. Her poll numbers are actually worse that Trump's, for what it is worth. So, just who is governing?
6
@TD
"So, just who is governing?"
It certainly isn't trump. Maybe Hannity, Rush dimbulb and Ann Coulter.
1
@angfil
Thank you for showing where we are in civil discourse. That should solve it. Please.
The sanctions that were just lifted on Oleg Deripaska should also be added to the (very long) list of items to be investigated.
14
Wow, NOTHING has been solved, 3 weeks, and they are working on prescription drugs?!
1
It's clear that since the Democrats took over the House that they are the party that can " walk and chew gum" at the same time. The Republicans are incompetent. All they know how to do is obstruct.
10
Reality Check always better way then to build walls to divide us. Create a international border at panama canel . Build housing for refugees in home countrys habit for humanity projects. Peace corps had best solution of all get people to volinteer to go to south america an help them build new world. Congress could use lessons of past an offer jobs in usa to people to go an help refugees in home countrys. After world war two america rebuilt world we can do this agun an help people in south america.
@jerry lee
The Peace Corps is apolitical. It can do nothing about the corruption of the governments south of the border.
He’s trying to run this country like a TV reality show. Please Congress please stop him!
12
Why should we be subjected to a State of the Union speech by Donald Trump?
Here's what he'll say:
"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, I just ended the longest government shutdown in history where all of the government workers supported us fighting the Democrats, who refused to help us stop millions of dangerous immigrants and families bringing drugs across our southern border. We need a wall to stop illegals at the border and if the Democrats don't help us, I will build it through other methods. Nobody knows more about illegal immigration, the economy, space travel, the atom, banking, black people, golf or world affairs than I do, that I can tell you.
And by the way, the economy is the best in the history of the world, businesses are coming back to the U.S. than originally left, people are enjoying the largest tax cut they've ever had in the history of the country, more blacks are working than they've ever worked (and that includes slavery, which I have a firm stand against), and did I mention, we need a wall on the southern border, that I can tell you.
Thank you and God Bless My America. "
Why should we have to listen to that again? It's just another campaign speech with idle threats.
I think I'll clean my oven that night.
That I can tell you.
13
ANOTHER GREAT DAY of Pelosi Freedom.
Thanks.
2
The "clock is ticking" and Congress has to act immediately to prevent another shutdown. That means, passing veto-proof bipartisan legislation banning all future shutdowns. We need to stop the autocratic demand for a wall by using federal workers as hostages for a $5.7 billion ransom to pay for it. Extortion and hostage-taking are criminal acts. Now Congress must demonstrate that it can fulfill its role under the Constitution to act as a "check and balance" against such abuse of power by Donald Trump. #MakeDemocracyWorkAgain
8
@Paul Wortman
As long as the GOP holds the Senate there will not be "check and balance."
They are too afraid of the being called names by trump followed by his tweet storm.
1
The congress reopening is not a reason for optimism considering that the way it failed to get any constructive work done for we the people after its first opening at the beginning of January. The 3 week reprieve that Trump has given to Democrats and Republicans in congress will be wasted if congress continues to be obstructive and leaning far out left. Contrary to what some in the press and most NY Times readers think that the shut down may have hurt or the extreme right wing of the Republican party think the president caved in, this will hardly make a dent in the chances of Trump's reelection.
By leaving the border security issue on the table unresolved like the immigration reform, this reopened congress will give Trump the same issue to run on again. There is not a single American who would say with certainty that the flaws and pores in our border are not real. If congress allows this to fester then this congress will be heading towards a high probability that it will be largely replaced in 2020 and solely responsible for reelection of Trump. As an independent I say to this congress get working. You had plenty of holidays in exotic places and act now with being reasonable or before you know it, it will be 2020 and you will have nothing positive to show and the door out will be wide open.
3
it's another stunt to ramp up to the season three cliffhanger. the 3 weeks is a cheap trick. but at least Putin got a smirk out of it.
Any semblance of bi-partisanship will remain elusive so long as Trump manufactures crises to distract and deflect.
6
Aside from his insipid campaign promise. We should ask ourselves, "who would build the wall? Which companies get the contracts to do/not do the work? Where might conflicts of interest arise in companies associated with building and the administration? Who's pockets are being lined?"
The last one being the sole motivation for this administration's actions.
8
lawyers: is taking peoples' land by eminent domain to build the wall the same as taxation without representation? would throwing Trump into Boston Harbor be a violation of the Clean Water Act? if Trump can declare our Afghan involvement over within the 3 weeks, can he appropriate the money now being spent there for his wll under national security rules? and, for extra credit, is there ANYTHING a sitting president is enjoined from doing if he utters the National Security incantation?
Here's an legislative idea, bipartisan 60+ votes in the Senate end of shutdown politics. There's a bill out there right now, push it through while the blood of the country is still hot from the debacle that President Trump put us through.
5
I like my team, headed by the very strong and capable Nancy Pelosi. Go team go. The country is watching and awaiting your leadership. We support you and your efforts. Go team go.
5
The first priority should be to outlaw shutdowns and rub the president's powers.
7
Given the fact that three weeks time will be over before you know it, Donald Trump has been publicly cast as "giving in" and being a wimp for doing so by Anne Coulter, and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is getting just too much darn front-page attention; the first order of business for Democrats should not involve a pay increase -- but an iron-clad guarantee that when this temporary fix to the government shutdown ends, federal employees won't be furloughed and will still be get paid.
3
I know one federal employee who should be furloughed immediately.
1
"Mr. Trump is threatening to shut down the government again ..." - trump is already suffering buyer's remorse. Can't he say something like, "I hope there will be a mutual agreement that will benefit a win-win for America". He's been stung twice (no wall and no speech) and yet, he still doesn't learn to leave the beehive alone.
1
How high? How deep? Is there any passive functioning barrier on earth we can point to as ever having worked? Fake Wall?
The democrats should demand that trump provide peer reviewed studies that support his claims that a WALL will reduce the number of illegal immigrants coming here, stop the drugs coming here, stop the “terrorist” who are flooding our country, and prove that Mexico will “end up paying for it,” and if he cannot produce evidence of this then he does not get funding for it...PERIOD! Trump really needs to just quit. The majority of citizens don’t want this dumb wall and those who do are purely ignorant. Just sign a bill to fund the government as it is and drop the nonsense of this wall from sea to shiny sea. Come to the realization that your base of cult followers will not get you elected for a second go around because the majority of us are fed up with your destruction of everything good in our country. I’m sure that the democrats and republicans can easily come up with a bipartisan bill that funds the government without wasting nearly 6 billion dollars on a ineffective wall.
4
Grant! make him submit a funding grant as medical researchers and other scientists do. not one error or you're out! must be submitted on time! let him hire a grant writer. or, make Trump write "boondoggle" in Sharpie 20,000 times on the facade of Trump Tower.
1
how about a bill to stop the pay of Congress and the President during any and all shutdowns?
6
What are the chances of --let's just pick a percentage out of thin air...23% sound OK?-- 23% of only the items highlighted in this article being fully resolved by August? We know, as sure as the sun doesn't rise until the rooster calls it, that "THE WALL" problem won't be behind us on 2/15/19. The devil on one shoulder is whispering that Speaker Pelosi should tell Trump he can have his beautiful concrete monolith only on the condition that he approves another keeping the Canadian hordes from attempting to dilute our blood with their wishy-washy liberalism, and to follow that with a seawall rising 50 feet above water level along every inch of coastline 100 yards from shore. No gates, no doors, razor wire along every inch, glass shards embedded in the concrete. Then declare everything within sight of the top of the wall a free-fire zone, and blanket it machine gun fire 24/7.
That, or a pittance of a few $B for more staffing and electronic security measures, and efforts by Trump to convince the governments of Guatemala, El Salvador et al to re-examine their roles and the treatment of their citizens.
One or the other.
Only a fool wouldn't accept the latter option.
Ergo, we are at an impasse on everything.
The only way "THE WALL" will be settled is if enough House and Senate Republicans love America enough to provide the votes for veto-proof legislation to resolve this piece of the mess they face. To put it off a single day will be just the sound of spinning wheels.
trump is asking for 5.6 billion for his fantasy wall, the government shut down just lost the economy 6 billion. looks like to me he just spent the money he was asking Congress for. if he lets he government shut down again, what ever dollar amount it cost our economy and lost wages to federal workers, trump needs to pay back to us. sounds fair the majority of Americans.
3
Being retired afforded me a chance to volunteer at the World Food kitchen here in Wash. DC, stood next to an State Dept. employee who out of work was spending many days on the food line feeding fellow federal workers also out or work and money. This donald trump is known as loyalty.
The one item that should be on the desk of this president is a bi-partisan bill that makes it illegal, against the law to, ever again shutdown the government. Shutting down the government and using its employees as hostage is despicably immoral.
If as mentioned a second shutdown should occur, although doubtful, but if it happened and we do not retaliate by storming the WH and the Capitol to voice our displeasure, then we are despicably immoral also.
4
Reading the article about the quite-possible fate facing Afghan women and girls in a Taliban-dominated country, and next reading about the quite-possible fate facing American women and girls if Trump, Pence, McConnell, and Graham get their way here with rightwing conservative judges across the land, is unnerving indeed. Insofar as protecting women’s rights, how are the ranks of the Taliban and the ranks of antiwoman GOP judges all that different?
3
The first thing that needs to be done is for Congress to propose a bill that will insure that Federal Employees are paid regardless of whether the politicians have approved an annual Budget or not. The rationale is simple. Every time the politicians do not do their jobs on time their is a partial government shutdown. When that happens, as you know, about 800,000 federal employees have their salaries deferred until a budget is approved. About 300,000 of the aforementioned are told they are not essential and are not allowed to come to work. However, when the budget is finally passed everyone will begin working again and all, essential and not essential, of the employees whose salaries were deferred will be paid in full. That begin said there really isn't any logical reason for not continuing federal employees' pay while the politicians are arguing with each other and no logical reason to have a partial government shutdown. A change in the law will make the partial government shutdown go away. Once that is done we just have to be sure we have some punishments in place to insure the politicians produce an approved budget timely. Punishment could be permanent forfeiture of salary until budget is approved and if not approved within 30 days after the deadline is passed the Congress and the President would not be allowed to run for reelection when their current term is up.
2
Up until now, this situation was completely GOP owned. They had control of all of government, until last month, after all. Now, the Democrats control the House, let's see how good Pelosi really is. After Friday, some were ready to run her for president.
Now, Pelosi owns part of what happens next. She may have won the first round, but she is dealing with an unstable and psychotic president. Normal politics, negotiation and compromise is not going to work.
She has three weeks to deliver, else we are back to Trump shutting down the government again or stealing $5 billion from the treasury by declaring a national emergency.
And, by the way, another shutdown will certainly show a contraction economically for Q1. Another one, will cause a Q2 contraction; that is recession. A recession owned by Trump, the GOP and Democrats.
So, America and the world is watching to see if Congress can actually do its job or not. If history, is any guide, the answer is no.
8
@Nick Metrowsky: Trump will take his shut-down provocations all the way to the edge of impeachment, testing the timorous Congress to its limit.
3
Going forward the only person who owns this is Trump. The GOP thinks the wall is such a stupid idea that they couldn’t vote for it when they had all of the power not to mention it was said a thousand times that Mexico was going to pay.
6
@Steve
A pithy, double plus good comment down here in the weeds that sums up the problem.
1
“If you’re the president of the United States, and you know that you have to defend the nation, do you want to shut the government down? No...”
... says Mick Mulvaney, who shut down the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau that was defending the financial security of Americans.
No, you continue to lie, distort, distract and divert resources from actual security into a wall fantasy that will never improve security.
Or like Trump, you provide mindless comparisons between two ancient inventions, the Wall and the Wheel, so your supporters slap their foreheads in amazement at the profundity of their master.
24
Trump will persist with the border security panic because creating panic is what he does.
12
No SOTU until government fully open and get money for infrastructure and federal workers raise and give him 5.7 billion for border security without a wall. The biggest thing for Trump now is reelection and he needs to SOTU to kick it off --optics are the only thing that matters to this man. From his wife to his hair, it is all about appearances not reality. Standing before a cheering republican throng during the SOTU, is more important to Trump than some wall his buddy Roger Stone thought up.
4
The real issue is that Americans aren't voting in local elections and those who do just reelect the same people over and over again. Nothing will change until Congress changes because they are actually the law makers. This is why Howard Schultz is making a lot of people nervous. I just wish we had more independents running in local elections but that would involve campaign reform. Another issue Congress will never deal with.
4
I have lost hope in GOP governance. It seems like all they can do is appoint conservative judges, lower taxes for the rich, enable Trump, and pass divisive legislation that does not seem to help anyone except themselves and their donors. If someone critical of Israel's treatment of Palestinians is anti-Semitic, then a number of liberal Jews would fall in that camp.
11
Sort of sad.... The NYTimes (really should change its name to the NYOpinion) rather than simply reporting the news on the compromise to end the Gov shut down could not resist “rubbing it” in Trumps face -“trumpeting” that it was an epic failure and cave on Trump’s part, rather than a decision to try to get a compromise. I mean, it’s really some of both - but either way, the reporting almost certainly has added to Trump’s continued fury and may well increase the odds of another shut down.. The Times knew or should have known this would be the result of such inflammatory headlines and opinion reporting..
2
@BB He ended up signing exactly what he had previously refused to sign because Republican politicians were starting to panic. He tried to spin it as him being reasonable. You bought this absurd spin and now you demand that the Times do so as well.
Words fail me in describing how absurd your position is.
NYTimes, please report on the GOP's transparent stalling in naming Republican members of the House Intelligence Committee.
12
The Democrats should move ahead with their work without Republicans, including providing transcripts to Mueller. What recourse would Republicans have?
1
How about a bill to automatically fund the government every year, so the process can’t be used as a political tool? Since the side that initiates the shutdown always seems to pay a political price, making it a pretty ineffective tool that mainly results in causing havoc for ordinary people, it should be easy for both parties to agree to take it off the table forever. Even Mitch McConell seems to be no fan of the practice.
4
Trump timed this just right. In 3 weeks American will start getting tax returns that will help them weather another shutdown. Many will also see increases and money talks. In the meantime Democrats will be seen as obstructionists because of their support of illegal immigration and open borders. If Democrats are smart they will give Trump his wall and enhanced border security. If not they will not only have Trump to deal with in 2020 but will give a boost to Schultz running.
2
My question is, where is the fervor over gun control? This administration has zero sense of urgency when it comes to this issue, even though it is far more close to home and deadly for Americans. I won't feel safe until border security is prioritized within our borders and against domestic terrorists.
5
Mr. Trump proposes the same "deal" that got us into the mess he created before Christmas. "Do what I say. or I will either shut down the government, or build the wall on my own!" This posture makes no sense. It didn't work last time. It won't work now. Obviously, no one in his right mind would shut down the government again, so Mr. Trump is going to try to declare a national emergency. He will be taken to court, and he will lose. At the same time, our border security will suffer because funding for new personnel and updated electronic surveillance which we need, will be hung up in the courts. Trump's magical wall that saves duct taped women is a fantasy that he needs to get over. Now.
3
Congress can reopen, but it is just a matter of time until the same old beliefs, or new beliefs, disrupt it again. The same goes for the wars that persist around the globe. Until there is a paradigm shift in human thought, mankind is doomed to a groundhog or recurring woes.
In the near future, we will program the human mind in the computer based on a linguistic "survival" algorithm, which will provide irrefutable proof as to how we trick the mind with our ridiculous beliefs about what is supposed to survive - producing minds programmed de facto for destruction. These minds see the survival of a particular belief as more important than the survival of all. When we understand this, we will begin the long trek back to reason and sanity.
See RevolutionOfReason.com
Pelosi will run her party into the ground. Her SanFrancisco values are out of touch with reality. Stay tuned.
5
Yes, Steve....universal healthcare, voting rights and Hosue oversight of the Criminal-In-Chief are just so unAmerican.
24
@Steve Would that running a party into the ground mirror what the grifter from Queens with his New York values has done?
8
@Steve
You mean like what the Dear White Leader did:
Daily lies.
Bold-face falsehoods.
Shameless self-promotion.
Turning the presidency into a family enterprise.
Hiding his tax returns that will expose him for money laundering criminal prosecutions
Vile street thuggery mafioso vocabulary (he is rat)
Watching FIX News for 4 days then hop on AF1 to his private club-paid with my taxes-@ 100/mil every weekend.
2
The Dem game plan can best be summarized as tampering with an economy and state of the union only to assure their continued existence. All the while - their top side leaders -
pushing legislation in which none personally live in... the inconsistency of such a construct hypocrisy is one that only those with hands out or eyes shut can attach. The core intent
of each party is polar in the extreme.. I am not sure what country the Democrats represent. They espouse personal
achieved positioning but undermine individual responsibility.
Their globalist max socialist lean creates a weak and dependent society.. Now that the Pelos-Trump poker bluff is quieted (for a month) let's see who does what. PS: the
only reason a shutdown occurred was due tho the failure of the Democratic Party to participate and endorse a real national budget.. Time to reveal who's who and what's what ---- in plain English ... por favor!!!
3
Trump's hijacking of news is bringing US down. We should be talking about excellent graphic data in Print NYTimes today of how some states are still primarily using coal for Electricity- including N Dakota, the 2nd largest producer of gas & Natural gas. Embarrassing.
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/12/24/climate/how-electricity-generation-changed-in-your-state.html
1
Ha! Ha! Ha! "Lordy," as James Comey would say, as long as Leader McConnell will not bring any motion forward to the Senate floor that Pres. Trump will veto, the president doesn't need to declare a national emergency nor shut down the government to build all the walls he wants. All he needs is a failed joint conference committee and 10 U.S.C. § 284
3
I have had enough, start with impeachment of Trump and Pence.
10
Withg all the senseless drama Donald Trump continues to subject our nation to let's realize and take solace in that sizeable reality approaching, the results of the Mueller Investigation unfolding with the Democrats holding the House, and the House in the sizable hands, unlike Trump's tiny bits, of Nancy Pelosi.
Time has marched on with Donald Trump's continuous drumbeat of 'no collusion' morphing into something more like one seeing an aged helium balloon bouncing along the ground in the notions department as we approach the checkout line than its original intent, that is, using it as one of his early rabbit hole searches he had everyone immersed in once he got to the 'oval office'. Well, say goodbye to that yellow brick road.
2
There are Dems that approve of the wall.
The future might demand a wall.
A wall is less offensive than many guards with guns and provides organized, civilized, entry.
6
And yet many on the border and those with border security expertise do not believe a wall to be the best solution. Trump and company have yet to show evidence that a wall will have the effects they proclaim it will. We should have some details and data before spending so much money, don't you think?
15
@Nancy
Forget the wall, everyone. That fight is over, more or less, and if it isn't the GOP will continue to lose on it for all the reasons that are repeated here in post after post after post. If I know it, the Republicans know it, and believe me they aren't going to sit around accepting their fate as all but destroyed. Nope, they will begin to counterattack immediately. And, because their agenda is unpopular when it isn't bankrupt, the only good strategy they have is to tear down their opponents to their level. It was a key tactic in winning the White House after all. Opening gambit? Looks like the rider they've attached regarding sanctions against Israel, which apparently is intended to anatogonize tensions among the Dems along ethnic fault-lines. And then singling out a Muslim woman for a well aimed slur. Dirty? Harmful for the country? Yes, yes. Effective? Maybe so.
@Nancy The U.S. Border Patrol Agency and U.S. Customs (the experts) have most definitely indicated the locations where the barrier/wall is needed.
1
No matter how the next few weeks play out Congress will remain gridlocked to at least 2020. Before blaming Mitch McConnell try to remember Harrry Reid's control of the Senate. What Democrats dished out Republicans are returning
A NYT article today offers a bit of hope, at least for the Presidential election. See "Howard Schultz, Former Starbucks Chief, Is Preparing for an Independent 2020 Run" Google his appearance on yesterday's "60 Minutes."
What makes him interesting? A lifetime Democrat he will run as a Centrist Independent. Why? Because "revenge politics" don't work and Democrats are not serving Americans by moving so far to the left.
Democrats fear Schultz will siphon off votes from their candidate which will enhance Trump's chances for reelection. If he is what on first look he appears to be, he will draw centrist/moderate votes from both parties.
Maybe, just maybe, time has arrived for a viable centrist Independent to win the Presidency.
4
@GWB,
Schultz will have my vote, or Mitch Landrieu, perhaps both.
Another shutdown would be daylight madness. Since Trump is unstable (to say the least), we must count on Congress (with Pelosi leading the way) to stand firm and never to allow such a farce again.
Encourage your representatives and senators on this point. Contact them early and often say that a shutdown is totally and entirely unacceptable.
6
I see that there is no action on the real problems of the nation: health care costs, climate change, rapidly increasing deficit, opioid and obesity epidemics ..
6
@felixmk,
The first priority and second priority of Democrats is DACA and immigration; no representation for thee nor me.
“Let me be very clear: We really have no choice but to build a powerful wall or steel barrier,” President Trump said Friday.
No choice?
To make the case for the wall, a comprehensive, unbiased analysis is needed. And no such analysis exists. Questions that must be answered include:
Is there any increased security provided by building a wall?
Are there technological solutions (cameras; sensing devices; other electronic systems) that are less expensive than a wall that would provide a similar degree of border security?
What are the overall costs to build, operate and maintain a steel wall over the entire border and/or over a significant portion of the border where illegal crossings have been shown to regularly occur?
How would tunneling and climbing over be prevented by building a wall?
Would border patrolling still be needed to maintain border security?
Would increased border patrolling provide sufficient border security at a lower cost than a wall?
A complete steel barrier along our southern border will cost upwards of $100 billion. The above questions must be answered, backed up with rigorous data, before the American public agree resoundingly that so many billions of our tax dollars should be spent on this wall.
7
I'm so glad the government is reopened, that Speaker Pelosi prevailed and held strong. She proved that Democracy is bigger and stronger than Donnie's wall.
800,000 workers went without being paid, yet still showed for work to keep us safe. That wall money should go to them. They are true heroes who are actually keeping America safe, unlike the President, who made America less safe.
800,000 workers and all their friends, relatives and neighbors of voting age must add up to a lot of people who are now likely quite motivated to vote against Trump in the next election.
This will come back to bite Trump. Never underestimate the power of the workers of this country! Never underestimate the power of Speaker Pelosi. And never underestimate the power of Democracy. We stand strong and will protect each other and our dear country.
2
unless they are volunters, people who show up for work without getting paid are slaves not heroes. the shutdown would have ended a lot sooner if workers had refused to come in when ordered. a laborer is worthy of his hire. agreeing to work for nothing puts the labor force in a poor barganing position.
1
Looking forward to going back to work today!
Spent some fruitful time last night reminding myself of my passwords.... all of which may have expired by now.
Thanks to all who contributed in their own small way to ending this impasse.
8
@Lydia
Keep the faith and thank you for whatever work you do employed by the governement on behalf of the American people. Every generation has had to endure harms wrought by a president. When I was young 2 presidents sent over 50,000 beloved US persons to their deaths in the Vietnem war and killed many more southeast asian people with carpet bombs and napalm. The presidency has been a blight on our nation. It is not what the founders wanted. You can outlast this president.
4
In addition to virtually giving money away to Israel for military operations the provision in the bill mentioned in regard to forbidding companies in individual states from engaging in the bds program is wrong. Israel is an apartheid state and I support the bds policy for that reason.
1
Oh, come on, Donald. Afraid of meeting with your supporters because you might just not get “the wall”?
What’s to change? It’ll still be the around the 30+% supporters that will fall at Trump’s knees, who he can cajole, lie to, blame anyone else but himself, to hold the shutdown.
Give up the shutdown. Just lie, Donald and let 800,000 people get their paychecks. They’ve suffered enough. And don’t use executive order, either. People have short memories - for the most part - but not when it comes to their own paychecks, their food, their housing, their transportation, and most - their safety.
Just say when speaking to the loving crowds “I tried with the wall. The Democrats wouldn’t go along, they failed.” The supporters will forgive - but the no-food-on-the-table will never forgive.
Get over the wall, Donald. Move on.
10
Trump declared war on the federal government in his innaugral address when he described America with the jarring word "carnage" implying a failure of the previous administration. The war was prosecuted by appointing an inept cabinet, at odds with the missions of the agencies they were appointed to head. The war continued with refusal to fill vacant positions throughout the government and nominate unqualified individuals to be federal judges. The latest salvo has been the shutdown, purposed to demoralize federal employees. Trump won that battle by insulting and scaring federal workers and discouraging the next generation of workers to seek federal employment. The democrats need to play defense in this war and contain the damage wrought by an unhinged president. The "wall"is a shiny object meant to distract. Trump won this last battle. Every time the govt shuts down he wins.
4
Where are the cost of college tuition and student debt on this list?
3
You are no more going to get Trump to give up on his border security demands than you are going to get a vegan to eat a bacon cheeseburger.
The obvious answer is to give him his funding, but to tie it to a totally unrelated program that Democrats would heartily endorse, and which raises no hot button issues with conservatives. I would propose that border funding acceptable to Trump be tied to an accelerated program to get lead out of municipal water supplies. This is a problem that disproportionately hits older urban areas, and therefore would be particularly beneficial to Democratic leaning constituents.
Trying to ram a loss down Trump's throat will only result in another government shut down. Time to move on, and agree to a win-win for everyone.
7
In the real world do most Americans really want a secure border? The produce ,meat and hospitality industries would die if not for the undocumented.We Americans who love to buy goods from Walmart made in China are willing to pay a living wage to people who work in those industries? The real reason immigration is never solved is because no one really want it solved.If Trump was honest he would build a wall around his golf course in New York where many undocumented work.
10
I never thought there would be more an inept group of leaders than the owner and management of the New York Knicks. I’ve been proven wrong by the current Senate.
12
It seems like a million years ago when Obama was president and the Democrats hadn't been completely cooped by the neo cons. Now the Democrats are jumping through all the hoops for Israel and trying to bring back McCarthyism. The cold war is back too. No fear of any defense cuts soon. Gridlock has taken another name, the wall. The US gov't is hamstrung with the dumbest and cruelest cut of all, Donald Trump.
3
And yet the TP/GOP refuses to place members on the House Intelligence committee, rending it non-functioning. The same committee that whitewashed the "investigation" into Russian meddling in our elections. A story that should be front page news across the country.
20
Beware, every time Trump gets a shutdown, the wheels of investigation slow.
12
Not one word about how Congress is planning to prevent the next episode of Trump's bizarre obstruction that will begin on 15 February, all too soon. Not one item about reprimanding the executive whose every move is being taken to avoid a candid discussion concerning just how he came to be our president, with the help of Russians. Not one item about how Congress is going to tackle the ugly question of a treason trial involving an incumbent president. Is everyone that complacent, or are they all asleep?
14
I cannot shut my family down. Families just don't work that way. And yet we begin again every day. I'm in bed smoking medical marijuana that we grow. Or I cannot stand. I am no good on the floor of the house of Usher. Breakfast is being cooked. I have boys to feed. Not feeding them is not an option. I test my bones for fractures. There is that pay gap between what I want and what I am going to get. Families are like that.
I zero in on costs 24/7. I worry about prescription drug pricing. No one can fight the insurance companies. It is always war. Some of the boys refuse to go to school. The house is shivering. I caffeine up for the daily fight with doctors. I pass out the pills for the boys who will still take them. Two boys hand me money. I do not want to know what they had to do to get it. Without food banks we would go hungry. We have scrounged in dumpsters before and we are not above doing it again.
There will be hearings today as some of the boys will want to speak to the behavior of the boys who passed out the money. I will not want to listen. Hear no evil...
I will introduce the idea of going down to Goodwill today for used shoes. This brings joy to most of them. They all need the shoes and Goodwill provides divided results as no one can keep all of the boys happy at the same time.
Same for coats. All of them hoodies. School rules -- no hoodies in class. But underneath the hoodies, it is skin in the game. I cannot shut my family down.
It doesn't work that way.
3
What is scary is the number of comments claiming there is a "border security" crisis here. Obviously, a lot of people still don't get the concept of "Fake" news and the Propaganda Organs.
There is NO Border Security or undocumented immigration crisis, other than the humanitarian one created by the current REPUBLICAN administration.
Congress has the (Constitutional) power of the purse; The President can propose a budget, but if Grandma Pelosi (and the rest of the Democrats) don't want to give him the money, no wall.
The Democratic congress controls the "family" checkbook. The (minority of the population) controlled senate had (and has) entirely within it's power to override the two year old in chiefs tantrum.
The electorate spoke very clearly in 2018 against the "conservative" agenda, the toddler in the White house and and government by tweet.
They ("Conservatives") have never had a majority of the electorate, it is all an artifact of gerrymandering and geography, Trump LOST the popular vote in 2016.
Any reprise will be entirely on Trump (do we have to show the sound bite again?) and McConnell and Republicans in the Senate.
22
Needed Now: Bipartisan agreement on a law preventing
a government shutdown of our necessary governmental agencies.
14
The big question being will Republicans in the House cooperate with Democrats establishing new leadership and membership for standing investigatory committees?
Many in the GOP may try to block investigation of the Trump Administration by not cooperating in establishing these committees they previously controlled. So sad that Republicans will hamper oversight all because they are not in control.
American government should be transparent in that many if not all aspects can be examined by elected representatives of We The People to insure just and fair function. That's at the core of questions involving the Trump 2016 election campaign and working of the POTUS' administration. It appears the Trump campaign colluded with Russians. It also looks like President Trump fired then AG Comey to kill an F.B.I. investigation of the same concerns, which is obstruction of justice.
The Congress can and should look into these allegations. Robert Mueller's special investigation is separate and on-going, granted information may be shared between the two agencies. That said, political turmoil has taken center stage in January 2019 due to unpatriotic Republican tactics.
If the Trump Administration has done nothing illegal, they should invite an investigation to clear their "honor". The GOP stalling investigations by a Dem-led House has bad optics. It looks like Congressional Republicans are working for the good of their party over the good of America.
5
Trump keeps on saying that he wants to "negotiate" but nonetheless insists that the $5.7 billion for his wall is not negotiable...
Here is a fair negotiated trade-off:
Trump was elected in 2016 in part because of his wall promise, meanwhile Dems swept back into the majority in the House in 2018 in large part because of healthcare.
So $5.7 for the wall in exchange for Medicare for all, or a Medicare buy-in/public option seems fair to me and would give and get from both sides on their highest priority.
6
Democrats demanded that the government be opened before they would negotiate. Well now it's open. Time for democrats to negotiate.
4
@AACNY Democrats did not think that government workers and their families should be part of the "negotiation" on policy differences. Well over half the country agreed, that is why Trump caved -- he and Republicans panicked and waved the white flag when they way their polls tanking.
And speaking of negotiating, is Trump willing to scale back his demand for $5.7 billion in wall funding, or is he going to shut down the government again on Feb. 15 if he doesn't get 100% of what he wants? If he is that dense, he's going to take it on the chin and have to cave again.
5
@Dan88
Any rational person knows it takes two to compromise, and the government was shutdown because no one was willing to compromise.
The fixation with denying Trump a win is a poor substitute for good policymaking. Democrats need to do more than oppose Trump.
The ball is in their court on immigration.
4
@AACNY There are some 535 legislators in Congress, not just two. And you still have not explained how Trump insisting on $5.7 billion dollars for a wall or he will shut down the government for a second time is "negotiating" on that issue.
If your reasoning holds, how would it be any different if the Dems shut down the government if Trump and the Republicans did not accept a Medicare for all bill, completely written and proposed by the Dems? Would you be willing to go along with that?
2
Thank goodness the Federal government has re-opened! Now the Democrat-controlled House can get back to doing what it does best - raising taxes and passing onerous regulations to strangle the US economy!
5
@Richard
The truth is that leadership under Secretary Pelosi provides the best chance for Americans to see what the democratic party will do if it wins the presidency.
Here in NYS, our government has gone hog wild. This is our state on democrats.
Americans aren't blind, fortunately.
3
Imagine a president committed to build an America that continues to be great thru the major challenges now facing the world. This President would have accepted that the greatness of the U.S. is built on its Constitution and commitment to the rule of law and of a well-functioning Congress that works in partnership with the President rather than be his rubber stamp.
The threat - "Give me $5.7 billion as down payment for a border wall or I will shutdown the government" is a not presidential leadership. President Trump's choice of issue is likely to destroy his possibility of a 2nd term in 2020 and further damage the country.
What if the President accepted the desires of the American people as reflected in the makeup of the House and challenged Congress to address infrastructure? This could avert the looming economic downturn and put hundreds of thousands of Americans to work. Much of the infrastructure of the U.S. is out-of-date. Hundreds of bridges are in disrepair. Infrastructure also includes border security facilities. So even border security could be addressed in the spirit of partnership for the good of the American people rather than in a win for either Congress or the presidency.
7
The Democrats control one half of the three branches of government. Without compromise they have little chance to advance any agenda, but they certainly have the power to obstruct anything the GOP holds dear. Those that believe the government that governs least governs best is going to be very pleased with the next two years. There will be a number of "fiery speeches" to enjoy, we will just have to make to with that.
5
@Marie Actually the courts are supposed to be neutra and not favor either party but in truth we realize that is not true.
2
Hubert Humphrey ran for president promising that the Federal government would hire anyone that was capable and willing. That was at a time when the Federal government often engaged in best practices, trying to be an example for all employers. Now, worker security has disappeared to border security and the conservative belief in a small government.
2
The very first order of business tomorrow should be passing one of the bills put forth to make it absolutely impossible to use government shutdown ever again as a dangerous political weapon at the expense of hard working Americans providing safety for air travel, housing for low income renters, inspecting our food and water, and increasing the expense to taxpayers for a totally dysfunctional government This was disgusting and shameful waste, an absolute disgrace
. I hope that our legislators get this message from me and their constituents who have suffered, and act accordingly before the day is over Monday.
18
All the important issues facing the country are being addressed. But why so weirdly?
How about fact-based legislating with some kindness thrown in?
- Drugs come in through ports, legal visas are overstayed. How would a wall help?
- A majority of people are not benefiting from the economy. Why reduce taxes on the wealthy again when trickle-down never works?
- People need dependable and affordable healthcare. Why dismantle existing systems instead of improving or fine-tuning them?
America needs to abolish the word ‚hard‘ from its vocabulary and move to ,smart‘: smart work, smart policies, smart governing, smart energy.
Ideologies never work: they simplify, exclude and vilify. And kill.
9
Great photograph of women surrounding a very intelligent reality based experienced stateswoman with legislative power equal to our disgraceful ,arrogant, and totally disconnected president who was allowed to damage our democracy with the shutdown.
16
If Trump wants to build a wall, he's going to have to declare a state of emergency. End of story. He couldn't get the money from a Republican Congress, but people still think he's somehow going to get it from a half-Democratic one? I don't quite see how that's going to work.
There's a serious miscalculation in play here. Trump seems to think the Wall is what won him the presidency. He made a hundred other promises, but this is the only one he's trying to keep. Apparently after failing to repeal Obamacare and ban Muslims from entering the country he realized his other promises weren't going to fly. So instead he gave us the tax cut that nobody but a few billionaire Republican donors wanted, which he never campaigned on. Then he called it a day.
If Americans wanted a wall, Trump's decision to focus entirely on immigration for the 2018 elections wouldn't have failed. Republicans would have kept the house and won lots of Senate seats. They didn't. The strategy failed. Why? Because Trump's ideas and proposals regarding immigration just aren't popular. Nobody has managed to come up with any way to make them sound smart or practical.
Trump is doubling down on a failed strategy. It's the definition of insanity. He'd be better off trying to repeal Obamacare again.
12
Should Trump try another shutdown in 3 weeks, irate federal workers would, in huge numbers, tell him, "If you ain't gonna pay me, I ain't gonna work." The airports and the IRS would be forced to close almost immediately, and most employees of our government, recognizing their own power, would be the ones to do the shutting down.
6
@James Mazzarella
If Speaker Pelosi doesn't negotiate on the wall, she will be the one to cause a shutdown.
1
Physical border wall for our extremely problematic south border is no brainier. Both Democratic and Republican, along with President Trump, all know that. However, the political fight is so nasty and loath that they simply focus on hegemony, with the border safety and our national security set aside temporarily. Caravans are knocking the door again.
House Speaker Pelosi is obligated to work with Senate Leader McConnell so both chambers can coordinate with President in finding the compromised solution to move our nation forward.
We need a physical border wall.
3
@Humble
Of course, barriers work. This is common sense. The arguments against it make little sense in the context of law enforcement.
We don't stop fighting crime in one area because it happens in another. We don't stop prosecuting one group because another group commits crime.
The greatest threat to the country from democrats' vendetta against President Trump is their open disdain for following the law, which is a core American value.
1
What’s so disturbing is a sizable portion of this country’s population (~35%) can’t tell a good idea from a bad one, fact from fiction, and noise and chaos from well-thought-out, meticulously crafted policy. It’s like a third of this country is watching Weekend Update on SNL and thinks it’s watching Walter Cronkite on the CBS Evening News instead.
19
Immigration is the result of the core values of the US Constitution- Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness. Having a wall of any kind or deterring people from immigrating to the US for a better life or to save their life is unconstitutional. President Trump’s desire to build his wall is unconstitutional.
7
@I Am
No walls. Abolish ICE. Sanctuary cities. Americans should definitely have a say whether they support these positions.
2
Pass the budget bill. Let the wall be part of a separate package that includes a path to citizenship for DACA, better treatment at the border and protects chain migration.
3
The worst thing that could happen now would be if Democrats became too triumphant about having defeated Trump and complacent about improving lives of the American people. They should reach a deal on securing our borders, with or without physical barriers, protect Obamacare, prepare for the impact of AI and robotization through education programs, improve the country's delipitated infrastructure, addressing the wealth inequality through social and just taxation programs, and etc., etc. Carpe diem.
6
That first picture - A woman in charge surrounded by other women. Yes.
12
After the shit down fiasco and Trump's humiliating defeat on the wall funding demand the most urgent task on the Congressional agenda has already been identified by the House Speaker Nancy Pelocy as how to effectively confront and counter the executive excesses and the transgressions being frequently resorted to by President Trump. For, it is only after this that the new Congress can think about pushing any legislative agenda currently hampered by Trump.
7
The oft-quoted description (or is a definition?) of insanity as expecting a different result by replication of the same method applies to Trump's obsession with a delusive wall.
6
There is one, almost surefire way, to stop Trump in 2020: have the RNC require the GOP presidential nominee to release AT LEAST the past 5 years of tax returns. 10 would be even better.
Of course, this would require Republicans to grow a spine, and that is far from a sure thing.
14
I share comments below about may be this is a bit premature of celebrating 116th Congress getting back to work.
Feb 15 is the day or night that may yet still live in infamy.
This Congress is going to be remembered as a shutdown Congress and a Congress without SOTU - all because of intrasigence of one leader - Madame Speaker.
For a woman whom I admire - she has miscalculated appeal of a campaign promise - whether she agrees with it or not.
With fresh memories of 41st - going one term - for having broken a campaign promise - 45th is not going to sit idly.
Even if Madame Speaker - still prevails on Feb 15 - there is going to be a veto override - which itself may be doubtful.
So, here we go again.
As it is - we are approaching Easter - fiollowed by Memorial Day etc.
This Congress is losing calendar fast - and all because of Madame Speaker.
1
@Neil
It won't be the first time Madam Speaker has led her party to disastrous results.
1
Actually, the first order of business will shortly become the question of Donald Trump. As soon as the Mueller Report is out, expect to be consumed with hearings and scenarios leading either to Trump's impeachment or resignation.
18
What if their were a constitutional amendment that stated that the government could no longer be shut down. As back in 2008 there were companies considered too big to fail, the U.S. Government is too big to shut down. The last month has proven that there are serious ramifications which can affect Americans worldwide when our government shuts down, despite this only being a "partial shutdown."
A constitutional amendment stops this from being a political card to play by either party.
26
Pelosi has Trump on the ropes, and he knows it. She is poised to deliver a knockout blow if he insanely shuts down the government on February 15th. Although, the first shutdown was insane. All we can do at this point is stay tuned, and see Pelosi emerge victorious.
32
Let’s hope, but Trump will always have an edge because he’s not constrained by morality or legality, and he doesn’t care what damage he inflicts on America if it helps him weasel out of admitting he can’t make the deal that was the central promise of his campaign. Pelosi is a decent human being; Trump is not, and he’s willing to sacrifice the lives and livelihoods of Americans without a second thought. That gives him an advantage in this battle.
4
@alank Correct. He is flailing about knowing that the Mueller Report is coming, and desperately looking for distractions to divert attention. The shutdown won't work. Declaring a national emergency will really cook him, i.e., an insane abuse of power. And now he can't invade Venezuela because Maduro isn't expelling U.S. diplomats.
3
@Kip
Trump clearly crossed the line with the shutdown; if it happens again, most of the Republican Senators will turn against him. Why? because he is hurting millions of Americans, who also happen to be constituents of these senators.
1
What is it with all these passive-voice phrases?
"...should be removed...."
The question really is "Who should be doing the removing?"
The answer, in a democracy, has two parts:
1. Absent "high crimes and misdemeanors," only the voters get to do the removing.
2. If there are "high crimes and misdemeanors," the politician should be impeached.
What's inappropriate is to mix up the two: to dislike the winner so much that one can't wait for the next election, to persuade oneself that the winner must have committed impeachable offenses when our real complaint about him is that we don't like him.
Not liking the winner is what elections are for. Vote him out next time; don't try to persuade yourself -- much less the rest of us -- that he must have committed some "high crimes and misdemeanors" when all he really did was win.
5
The voters (including you) do not know if trump has, or has not, committed impeachable acts. None of us (including you) do not know if all trump did was “win,” and that all that is going on is a popularity contest, as you’d like everyone to believe. trump’s culpability is not for us to determine. Everyone (including you) has a Constitutional and inalienable right to voice his/her opinion on the matter.
There is a Constitutional process to determine if trump has or has not committed such acts. And only those proper authorities using that process are empowered to make that determination, not the voters (including you).
However, no one (including you) gets to decide which matters the public can make comments on, nor what conjectures they are entitled to make, nor what “truths” they may hold on the subject. We all (including you) get to speak our minds.
7
@MyThreeCents: The fact that Trump is loathsome is beside the point. The Russians clearly interfered in America's 2016 presidential election, and they clearly wanted Trump to win. Looking into whether he, his campaign and members of his administration conspired with a hostile foreign power to undermine our democratic process and cover up afterwards is a legitimate and necessary line of inquiry.
The highly respected Special Counsel, lifelong Republican Robert Mueller, will reveal whether Trump is guilty of high crimes and misdemeanors. Trump's relentless efforts to obstruct and discredit Mueller's investigation strongly suggest that he is guilty. So does the fact that so many of the people around him have been indicted for lying under oath and/or have pleaded guilty to doing so. If none of them did anything wrong, why all the lying?
8
@MyThreeCents
Remember all the outrage over daring to want Obama to be a one-term president?
2
So let's see what Dems and Repubs will do to seriously strengthen immigration control.
If not a "wall", then what?
Doing nothing, or doing very little, is not satisfactory.
Deflections are not satisfactory --
for example, it is not satisfactory to try to deflect from border control by saying that visa overstays are the problem. Border jumping is sill a serious problem and serious actions are needed to get much stronger border control.
And even if visa overstays are an even more serous problem, border jumping still needs to be addressed,
In addition, what are Dems and Repubs going to do about visa overstays?
More decorations? I say, yes.
Tighter control over visa issuance? I say, yes.
Especially for persons from countries with a high rate of visa overstays? I say, yes.
Endless procrastination also is not satisfactory. Actions need to be taken sooner rather than later.
3
As you imply, there is a lot more to deal with than building a wall or not. All of the studies and reports say that a full-length border wall would at most be as effective as modern measures (cameras, sensors, drones, etc.) and significantly more expensive.
The real question is one of priorities. I for one could care less if you over stayed your visa or crossed illegally, if in all other respects you are a good resident. Should theses issues be addressed? Yes. Should addressing the flow of illegal drugs (and more importantly why they are profitable) be addressed first? Absolutely.
Saying “wall wall wall” is just a distraction. Thinking that a simple first century BCE solution to a complex 20th/21st century problem will solve everything is foolish.
Many people believe passionately that illegal immigration should be stopped. (After all, it is illegal, according to laws passed in 1986 by Congress.) They try to say this nicely. But they have been characterized as racists and bigots for decades by liberals. After a while they got angry, and elected Trump. That was a mistake.
Trump channels anger effectively. But a democracy needs negotiation and compromise to function. That means toned-down rhetoric. And Trump is threatened with possible impeachment in the House.
For his survival, Trump needs to feed the extremes of politics. He needs an issue that will detract from the investigation of his possible criminal behavior.
Illegal immigration is a perfect issue. His demand of $5.7 billion for a wall is almost reasonable, but just beyond acceptability for Schumer and Pelosi. We had a shutdown for several weeks. Now the government is open. In three weeks it can be shut down again.
Democrats want to investigate a payoff of $130,000 to Stormy Daniels. But this fades into unimportance compared to possible consequences of no aircraft controllers. How can people pay attention to Michael Cohen when government workers don't receive paychecks?
Shutdown brings us no closer to the negotiations toward actual policies that might help control illegal immigration.
Little by little, repeated government shutdowns diminish respect for government.
Excessive partisanship brings us closer to the dissolution of democracy itself.
5
Exactly right:
"Nothing has changed. Oh, the government is open again--for now ..."
Trump "lost" Round 1, but he's set up nicely for Round 2. "Just saying no" worked well for his Democratic opponents in Round 1, but Americans will be looking for the ability to compromise in Round 2. Trump has to compromise too. His offer of three years' additional protection to Dreamers was absurd, but at least it was an offer. Next time, most Americans will expect a counter-offer from the Democrats, not just a "no," not just a "My way or the highway" response.
1
@MyThreeCents
Last year, DACA was so important to democrats they were willing to shut down the government over it. Trump has made it clear he's amenable to talks on DACA.
As of now, Trump is the compromiser. At great political cost, he agreed to democrats' demand to open the government. He is extremely flexible on immigration. Speaker Pelosi now has to demonstrate that she is equally mature.
1
Health Care for All or No Wall! Lead
Abatement for poor in old homes or No Wall! Access to Bankruptcy for Student Loan Defaults or No Wall! Equity for all immigrants at all borders with no racializing of brown refugees or No Wall. No Southern Wall. Special immigration status for Descendants of First Inhabitants! @AACNY
Trump has to get his way. He MUST win. He cares nothing about MS13, or drugs and criminals coming across the border or all the other threats he keeps spouting about. The only thing he cares about is getting what he wants. Nothing else matters. And the rest of us have to suffer for it. Virtually all the comments and statistics he quoted in his speech lifting the shutdown were lies. He gets away with it because the Republican party trembles with fear every time they think they might offend him and thereby bring down his 35% of the population that are his hard core base on their heads in the upcoming elections. It never occurs to them that the other 65% of the population hates his guts and would keep them in office if they did something to get rid of him.
12
I have a feeling Nancy Pelosi will be saying "yes" a lot more often in Round 2:
"The easiest thing to do is just say 'no' and do nothing and that is all she did. Nothing more."
Exactly. Just saying "no" worked pretty well in Round 1, but I don't think it will work in Round 2. Maybe, but I doubt it. Pelosi will have to cut a deal of some sort, or the Democrats will get blamed this time.
2
@MyThreeCents: What Pelosi said "no" to was shutting down the government. And she was right. Trump had to be taught that he couldn't use bullying and hostage-taking to get his way. If he'd been rewarded for doing so, he would have done it again and again.
Immigration is a separate issue. The Republicans had majorities in both houses of Congress for the past two years, and they didn't pass immigration reform. Obviously they didn't consider building Trump's wall an urgent priority.
Pelosi will negotiate on immigration, but she will do so from a position of power. The Democrats now control the House of Representatives. Trump will need to compromise with them, making concessions his base won't like. That is how the process works.
Shutting down the government again, or declaring a phony national emergency to get around Congress, are unacceptable, anti-democratic tactics. If Trump tries to use them, the public will blame him again.
5
@MyThreeCents
Agreeing to demands is also a negotiating tactic. I suspect Speaker Pelosi has realized this. It will only get harder and harder for her to refuse a barrier as President Trump makes more concessions on DACA, etc.
1
February 15 will roll around pretty quickly:
"With the government shutdown over for now..."
The "wall" issue hasn't gone away. Most Americans don't want a concrete wall, but they do want some physical barrier -- and border agents reportedly do too.
Each side dug in its heels last time, but almost certainly there will be some give and take this time. (One thing for sure: government workers who can switch to private employment, and who didn't go to work for the federal government out of an overriding love of public service, will switch to private employment at the first opportunity -- and they won't be "blindsided" by another shutdown. Since it won't be a surprise to very many people, I doubt Trump will shoulder as much of the blame as he deservedly received this time. The Democratic opposition could win Round 2, as I think it won Round 1, but it's going to have to cut a deal to do that. If it just digs in its heels again and says "no," the Democrats will get blamed this time, not Trump.
33
@MyThreeCents
Blamed for what exactly? Calling a non-crisis what it is? Not a crisis.
Democrats support more sophisticated approaches to border security. Just not this boondoggle of a campaign promise.
55
@MyThreeCents
"... Most Americans don't want a concrete wall, but they do want some physical barrier -- and border agents reportedly do too. …"
Most Americans of all political persuasions want a secure border. They do not share this mindless obsession with a wall. In fact, by all accounts, most Americans explicitly do now want a wall. They know the wall will do nothing. And at this point the notion of a wall/barrier is indelibly associated with the lies, racism, and fear that Mr. Trump has used to justify it. The wall is, as Speaker Pelosi said, immoral. We will never endorse or accept a law that endorses the wearing white sheets and burning crosses. And we will never accept a law that builds the Trump wall.
59
@MyThreeCents,
If Trump shuts down the government again, everyone will know that Trump did it, just like the time before. No one is going to lay the responsibility on the Democrats.
30
Speaker Pelosi should shutdown all House activity until the Republicans fill their seats on the Intelligence Committee and let the Committee proceed with its duties. Their continued obstruction of the investigation is a national security threat.
13
We're growing up. Now that the USA composts the results of centuries of corruption, greed, ignorance and fear we're readying ourselves for some sorely needed updates. Example, the simple requirement to provide the last 10 years of tax files along with your paperwork to run for POTUS.
Once those tax files are on public record the next step is a fine-tooth combing through every single line item.
That one simple requirement - alone - would have bounced Trump off the ballot.
What 'updates' do you think are sorely past due?
13
Interesting photo. One white guy amid the sea of important looking women. No wonder their world is so much more carefree than ours. Perhaps they are smarter.
6
The only result we want from divided government is to deny Republican liars and criminals whatever they want. We want Democrats to give the GOP exactly the same degree of cooperation the GOP gave Obama: NONE. No truck with Republican neo fascists. You get: NOTHING.
22
So a priority for the Democrats is to give the federal workers a raise--which I support, but along with that the last few weeks have demonstrated that many of the functions of government are not missed when no one is there. So give them a 5% raise and then cut the payroll.
5
@Jonathan
Many federal workers were in fact working without pay during the 'shutdown', including TSA workers, FBI agents, Border Patrol, prison guards and Secret Service agents.
Thanks for your government is the problem spite.
28
The photo leading this article suggests just how dysfunctional we have become as a nation. Mea culpa, I voted for Trump and am now ashamed of myself for doing so. I am encouraged that more rational minds (Pelosi, et al) are attempting to counter the utter ignorance and incompetence of D. Trump. Call me a “Recovering Republican”.
That being said, Nancy Pelosi looks very much like Marie Antoinette at Versailles preceded by her fawning courtiers and ladies-in-waiting. Just before the introduction of the guillotine.
What has happened to us as a nation? When did we stop demanding integrity, honesty and rational discourse from our elected officials? What kind of country will our children inherit?
7
@Rob D
Congratulations on seeing the error of your Trumpian ways, but you don't seem to have fully recovered from your dreadful misjudgment.
You can make all the sophomoric comments you want about the photo, but Nancy Pelosi has a track record of accomplishment as House Speaker, including the elimination of the medieval 'pre-existing condition' exclusion rule and other humane aspects of the ACA.
Nancy Pelosi is anything but a 'let them eat cake' figure.
Especially given the reality of the 'let them eat coal' Reverse Robin Hood Republicans.
Counseling is available.
56
@Rob D
Seems like the people surrounding Pelosi in the photo are members of the press.
That seems like a good thing as far as open government is concerned.
22
@Socrates
Pelosi is most definitely a "let them eat cake" sort of cult idol. The easiest thing to do is just say "no" and do nothing and that is all she did. Nothing more.
@Rob d
We might only hope the saner and less shrill among us somehow take the middle ground. I see some evidence in both parties outside the leadership that moderates/centrists are pressing to do just that.
6
Nothing about the health of the planet here, the real crisis, and that Trump and Republicans, who intentionally do nothing about this, should be removed.
8
Here's the deal. One mile of wall with Trumps name on it in a very remote location and the people get Medicare for all.
20
I sick of all the political bickering and gridlock.
Here is an analogy that sums up the situation -
A family's grocery usually runs into hundreds of dollars. One of them wants to spend five dollars on a frivolous item. The other won't stand for it. In this fight, the grocery is never bought and the kids go hungry...
4
@Rajesh
A majority of Americans want their party to compromise.
3
I would really like to see some effort in the direction of back-pay compensation for the millions of US government contractors who were shut out by the government shutdown/president meltdown.
Better yet, I'd like to see them brought on board as the full-time salaried government employees that we ought to have, not contingent "contractors".
Republicans, for decades, have been killing our government by millions of small cuts. It's time to turn the process around.
12
We have enough disasters of BIG government expansion in the era of Obama administration, including ACA which we are paying with additional tax burden. My vote would be cutting the welfare of illegal immigrants and remove those who abuse our world class welfare.
7
The kind of massive construction project Donald Trump wants requires a lengthy process of consideration and studies, including feasibility, legality, environmental and human impact, and especially legal issues. Then all the construction details, financial analysis and funding for the entire project. He should have started the process 2 years ago with the Republican Congress, if he was serious about it. He can't get a downpayment of $5 billion for a project that doesn't even exist and probably never will. Most important, Trump and his family and businesses can't be allowed to profit from any of this, or any other government projects or policies, for many years into the future. Trump is a real-estate developer and has exhibited a very personal attachment to this project, well beyond its actual importance to our national security. The conflict of interest issues can't be ignored.
28
A slightly off topic post, it has more to do with the shutdown than what may come after.
So I was thinking about how it made no sense that Carter's USAG had made this decision as there was no shutdown issue during his tenure. I looked it up. The memo Mr Civiletti wrote in which he made this interpretation was April 15, 1980 which makes it for president reagan.
https://www.scribd.com/document/369474453/Civiletti-Memo-on-Shutdowns#
And the first sentence makes it clear reagan asked him to do it. This makes sense as they started out right away with de-funding agencies and blocking them from doing their jobs w/o ever saying they were doing this at the start. A shutdown is a perfect shrink government tool and you can make it a little smaller each time it reopens. I have no doubt Mr Civiletti was doing as asked not making an honest judgment call.
You can see in the nest few sentences that Mr Civiletti draws a connection between the mistaken opinion of the Comptroller General and the known intent of the ADA. Against 115 years of practice he changes the law by personal interpretation. Remember the AntiDeficeincy Act(ADA) is was enacted and is meant to deal with/apply to contractors hired by the government spending money over their budget without allocation, not government agencies or government personnel.
So there is another reason to correct this false interpretation and the probable reason the republicans will not allow that to happen.
2
Reagan was elected November 4, 1980 and took office January 20, 1981. Carter would have been president in April 1980.
1
@Daniel
Well now I am red faced and confounded. Apparently Carter did have a shutdown.
I still stand by my assertion that Mr Civiletti was wrong in his use of the ADA to justify this interpretation.
Having had his nose rubbed in “it”, Trump,is not going down the shutdown route again. Even that old dog learns lessons from aversive conditioning. But the Democrats need to establish themselves as the party of competent governance, and with so many important issues on the agenda, many not alluded to herein, it would,be best to “Wall off” the border security issue and move on. Trump is neither going to be driven from office because solely on the basis of his xenophobic wall obsession nor will crushing Trump’s barrier Dream lead to defeat in 2020.
Some cost effective barrier funding should be agreed to..,and this issue taken off the table. Trump will spin anything he gets into the Great Wall to plead deceive his base. Not only should Congress investigate Trump’s other misdeeds And malfeasance, but they should legislate; even if the Senate thwarts Bills which pass the House, the Democrats will show the voters what they stand for and what governance by a Democratic administration looks like.
3
Sure, why not shut down the government again? After all, would God have given Trump two feet if he didn't want him to shoot himself in both of them?
24
Pay raise for Federal employees is the number one priority?
7
'Defending the Nation' is republican double speak for building a useless Wall. The bipartisan panel representing bothethe House and Senate must get beyond this double speak and create a veto proof bill that represents the true needs of our country for security. McConnell as a Trump enabler will not like bipartisan agreement so that committee sill need to ready to defy both Trump and McConnell.
Democrats may feel a lot of elation with the new majority in the House and the agenda looks great on paper, but actually achieving these things will be a Herculean task. Unity is the key now in our coming fight to regain the White House. If we become lost in our squabbling we will once again be prone to shoot ourselves in the foot rather achieving the victories we crave. Nancy Pelosi, I know you are up to the task.
153
@just Robert the Dems will achieve nothing as they are the ones that are for themselves and not the people. They proven that with the shutdown as a wall is proven to work and is needed in many parts of the border.
6
@Dustin
I find it hard to believe you missed the numerous articles detailing why the wall wasn't funded by the GOP in the first two years of Trump's admin, including, but not limited to:
1) the inability of a wall to stop illegal crossings without all of the additional tech that the Dems have already secured funding for (as stated by Border Patrol);
2) the inability of a wall to stop drugs, because 90% of drugs come through legal ports of entry;
3) the inability of a wall to stop the 40% of illegal immigrants who come legally and overstay their visas;
4) the incredible cost of building ($25B) and maintaining a wall ($100m/year);
5) the necessity to seize private property through eminent domain;
6) the rejection of the wall by every elected rep on the border, from both parties;
7) the complete lack of an assessment or plan for where, why, how, and when the wall would be built;
8) the inability of a wall to fill the Border Patrol's most important need: qualified people;
9) the inability of the wall to deal with the backed up legal system; and,
10) the complete inability of a wall to address the reason people cross illegally: the hiring of illegals by American companies, like Trump's golf courses.
98
@Dustin
Um, according to the stats I have heard, more terrorist suspects enter the U.S. from the north than the south.
So, perhaps Trump's handlers should be promoting a wall (more than 5,000 miles long, including mountains and lakes) along the northern border.
16
Time to investigate Jared Kushner's security clearance debacle along with the other thirty members with shady pasts, all of whom had negative recommendations by the professional security team members overridden by the professional grifters in the White House. This is the REAL national security issue, not toddlers at the Southern border.
20
I for one look forward to the government opening once again and serious legislation being presented and voted on.
As far as another Border Wall fiasco goes I think the country has had enough of Trumps foolishness on that topic. Still if he decides to bring that out again it will be up to the Republicans to sit him in the 'Time-Out' corner so the adults can get some work done.
The country is looking for serious, equal, and fair legislation. Not the whims of a person who has shown himself to be a very unreliable, uncaring, and unqualified political administrator.
264
@Lalo you mean the Democrats as they have proven to be unreliable, uncaring and unqualified over and over. The wall is needed but yet Trump compromised. The Dems shot themselves in the foot because with no fundomg for a wall in three weeks another shutdown will happen and it will all be on the Dems not Trump.
3
@Dustin I would call this assertion wishful thinking. Trump may get some money for some wall, but not as much as he wants, and it will not be a partisan vote. Republican senators are also eager to get the wall business out of the way and move forward.
17
@Dustin
When did trump compromise? Put down when he did. The thing is that trump's method of "compromising" is 'My way or the highway."
Do you really call that compromising?
I doubt that any thinking person does.
1
What a great photo! Scrum of female reporters surrounding the most powerful politician in the U.S.! This is the new dynamic, and it makes me feel good.
20
Nancy Pelosi is the new rock star.
You go girl, because your reflexive instincts are exactly where the country should be.
Once we have gotten rid of this Constitutional millstone around our necks, aka, The Donald.
11
@Arbitrot
Speaker Pelosi shut the government down because she wouldn't give up $1 for a wall. That may be "rock star" behavior to the most ardent anti-Trump Americans, but it's hardy rational to the rest of the country.
Hers is a Pyrrhic victory.
2
I don't care how you slice it, how you dice, this woman alone has shown how our institutions have held: battered maybe, but standing strong. She represents the law, fact-based reality, equity, and more importantly, prudence. Remember that word?
I give thanks Nancy Pelosi is here in this hour of our national need to help us through this travail of darkness, of threat to everything we stand for: human rights, the free vote, a nation of laws.
468
@Patricia Waters
I would like to see Nancy Pelosi run for president. That's maybe not very likely to happen, but she would still be a good candidate. She has guts and common sense, that's what the country needs especially after 4 years of cabaret.
17
@marielaveau
Republicans will likely run against her whether she runs or not.
4
@Patricia Waters
Nancy Pelosi is no Yoda Jedi Master. Yoda was 800 years old and had the power of the Force. Nancy Pelosi is only 78 years old.
Nancy Pelosi is merely Speaker of the House of Representatives for two years. She is not Senate Majority Leader nor Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. Nancy has the power of the purse and government oversight including impeachment.
As long as Trump is the one and only President of the United States under Article II he can shutdown all or part of the federal government whenever he pleases. Trump can nominate people to the executive and judicial branches without the advice and consent of the House of Representatives. Trump can act as Commander in Chief and top diplomat.
1
Let’s be totally real here , seeing how irresponsible the republicans have been since the election of Obama and a democratic primary already starting, we not going to get anything done for at least 2 years when whoever is elected president takes office. What we need is a constitutional reform that will make sure congress really represent the Americans and a president who is elected by popular vote. For that we would need representatives in Washington actually caring about the future of this country and not how they can make sure they keep their seats
13
Nancy Pelosi should not allow Trump’s state of the union address to happen before the 3 weeks dead line is over.
If Trump then decides to shutdown the government, then Nancy, as she did in the first shutdown, should not let the state of the union speech to happen.
As a new representative in the House, Tom Malinowski, said just before Trump caved in: “From my standpoint, and I think this is the consensus of the caucus, everything is negotiable. Border security is negotiable. Immigration policy is negotiable. Shutting down the government is not negotiable, and we’re angry about it.” Mr. Malinowski went on: “If we give in to this tactic in any way we will validate it, and there will be no end to these shutdowns, and the people who suffer today will be suffering again and again and again. We cannot have that.”
Trump can never have his way by holding the shutdown sword over us on any issue.
If Trump does not shut the government down, then his speech can be scheduled.
15
There are so many important issues that directly affect the American people and need action by their elected representatives. I would like to see Democrats prioritize, like we as individuals have to do. What is most important to do right now? Those that are life-or-death matters, obviously. Access to life-saving drugs and medical care for all is a no-brainer priority. As difficult as it is to legislate in this area, Democrats should come together on a plan, educate the public about it and keep pushing it into 2020. Clearly, Republicans have no plan. All they can do is scare people and obstruct. Voters need to understand that Democrats DO have a plan and that is will only pass with a majority in the Senate and a Democrat in the White House.
12
I think Nancy Pelosi looks GREAT for her age, and I am supporting her because she is a GREAT LADY. She has her mind on her shoulders, yes? I think so.
14
@2B or not 2B
What about our Fake-Hair-In-Chief ?
He looks great for a fake, fraud and a phony.
6
A leader as strong and smart and talented as Nancy Pelosi looks great. Period.
Whatever the age. REGARDLESS of age. It’s just not about age. If it is about age, it’s ageism. And gender bias too. None of this stuff is said about men with the same intent, frequency or “wink, wink.”
Enough. Please.
The United States is so very fortunate to have Pelosi’s true leadership - a refreshing light during such a dark and dangerous time.
9
Why?
Because it has to do with the 30 million illegal aliens already here.
They live lives of anxiety and trepidation.
By opposing the wall, Democrats are giving them words of reassurance that everything is alright.
5
@True Observer
and to encourage more to pour in.,,
3
@True Observer
Thanks for the Grand Old Propaganda number of 30 million.
Keep gaslighting.
https://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2016/sep/01/donald-trump/donald-trump-repeats-pants-fire-claim-about-30-mil/
17
The top priority should be a complete inquiry into each and every crook in this administration. Felons can’t run for the presidency, can they??
9
Often it takes at least two weeks to shut down direct service focused departments of the federal government, and these same do not spring back to normal operations when the politicians say so. It takes three weeks to regain previous levels of service, if ever. So this whole scenario is the status quo’s joke on the American people and federal employees, that some employees will get paid but not correctly, that these three weeks will be a total wash out for the American people. It makes me wonder, who is watching the cookie jar? Is Mueller the only person holding this country’s body politic together? Trump, Pelosi, the loud and obnoxious congresspeople, all are flies in the marketplace. I’m so disappointed with the whole lot of them.
1
If this congress really wants to show America that the country comes first they will put together legislation that ensures that it never shuts down again.
33
Maybe they should deal with the Border Wall issue right now, instead of letting it fester until the last minute and shut things down again.
11
The pro-Trump defenders are just too incompetent to argue with. So sad.
23
Now the Democrats can get back to work and stop taking these luxurious vacations (Hawaii for Nancy Pelosi) and Puerto Rico for some others. We pay them to work and not to play. They said there was much to be done to improve the country so they must be serious and begin.
8
The Pelosis are billionaires. When they have time off (like everyone else) they can vacation wherever they want. Power to them.
19
How about some truths... Ask Trump to show up for work before 11am, stop getting his daily agenda from half-baked pundits on the TV. Spend his time not on the golf course so much, read or listen if he has to - to his daily briefings. And Lordy stop with his scatter brain tweets all hours of the night and day to feed his base/groupies.
28
@WPLMMT, The House was under Paul Ryan and the entire Congress was in recess when Nancy Pelosi was in Hawaii. Since they convened on January 3 the House under Pelosi passed funding bills and got a lot done.Three weeks later The Senate under McConnell was still obstructing the funding process, not allowing a vote, and the House had moved on to comprehensive border security and immigration. The Puerto Rico trip was to look at disaster areas, and communicate with the people and government in preparation for disaster aid funding legislation. Next comes health care. All things that should have already been done by Republicans in the last 2 year session and were not, and that session ended in a shutdown.
29
I hope the Democrats will not forget their pre-election promise to investigate Trump, especially his tax returns.
21
There us no requirement for his tax returns to be opened for all the see. Just because you want to see them does not make it a requirement.
5
@BorisRoberts: Trump has already been proven to be a tax fraud. The American public has every right to inspect his tax returns.
21
What ever happened to the Green New Deal? The environment is the most pressing global problem we face and Donald Trump has only been making it much, much worse. Also, the House has the power to end the tariff trade war with China that Paul Ryan ceded to Trump under the ruse of "national security." The world economy is suffering from this Trump version of a trade "shutdown" or slowdown. The tariffs need to be eliminated and sanity restored to trade. Then there is the proposal to raise the marginal tax rate on multi-millionaires to 70 percent to begin ending income inequality. And, now is the time for Congress to end shutdowns forever before Trump tries it again.
10
Trump just got the wall, her name is Nancy Pelosi, also known as Iron Nancy.
29
The frustrated Democrats in the House have a large legislative agenda to make up for lost time and improve life for the middle class and the climate; plus House investigations of Trump & his campaign's devious dealings with the Russians to get Trump elected POTUS.
But don't hold your breath, because the loyalist, spoiler Republicans--whose only concerns are helping the rich and big corporate, lowering taxes and scuttling the government (except for the military), and keeping bigotry and racism well fed so they can win elections--are there to make sure that nothing positive ever happens for the people of this beleaguered and declining nation.
Now, of course, the Republicans have not only the masterful obstructionist and anti-democratic feneagler Senator McConnell controlling the Senate; they have the master of diversion, corruption, prevarication, chaos, and destruction President Trump, who will be throwing monkey wrenches and kitchen sinks into every Democratic bill by using digging into his bag of dirty tricks--stalling; creating disorder out of order; showboating and grandstanding with his insults, petulance, and temper tantrums; and pulling the rug out from funding worthwhile democratic projects by veto, executive order, or chicanery.
How many times have we seen this endless Republican mini-series before?
The very heart and soul of our country is at stake now, with wether our nation can go forward toward caring for people and democracy or drown in Trump's GOP swamp
141
@PB
I would argue that the greatest threat to the very heart and soul of our country is from those Americans who believe their animus towards a president and refusal to accept he won an election is reason to remove him from office.
2
@AACNY
So, if it can be irrefutably proven that the election was influenced by and/or corrupted by another, rival state, in cooperation and/or collusion with highly placed campaign officials, up to and including the candidate himself, will you concede the argument?
17
@AACNY The reasons for removing Trump have nothing to do with the fact that he won an election. He has broken laws, lies repeatedly, and is unfit for the Presidency. However you may take solace in the fact that the two previously impeached Presidents were not removed from office. I would add that perhaps the greatest real threat to the "very heart and soul of our country" is the people who voted for Trump, and would vote for him again, somehow thinking that such an crude thug is a fit leader for our country.
4
The Democrats should actually increase the border budget to more than Trump has asked for.... $0 for a wall, but an increase in funding for security, technology, humanitarian & judicial endeavors. This would prove that Democrats are sincere about border security and put the onus on Trump & McDonnell to act responsibly...if that is possible.
24
I can agree with that, but they cannot make 11-20 million people citizens like they want. They need to fix the border,not just make sure everyone votes Democrat.
4
The photo alone is worth it. Thank you.
15
"Already the National Republican Congressional Committee has taken to labeling Ms. Omar “an anti-Semite” for her positions on Israel, a charge she hotly rejects."
Sounds like the NRC isn't planning to change much: accuse Democrats of things they didn't say while ignoring what they said.
The nastiness of divided government seems like it will hold through 2020. The shutdown certainly didn't help things at all--it seemed designed by Trump not just to cave to Coulter and Limbaugh, but also to steal thunder from the new Democratic majority in the House.
One would think that a federal employee pay raise and gender equity pay legislation would be easy, unless you stop to think who holds the key to bringing this legislation to the Senate, a body that never has expressed much interest in the needs of females.
I guess we'll be lucky to get a bill to lower the cost of prescription drugs, since it's hard to see how that would be politicized. Oh, I forgot: the 60-70 pieces of legislation to destroy the ACA.
Well, one can dream.
17
Now that everyone has declared victory perhaps it is time to deal with real issues. Do we have problems with immigration, healthcare, opioid crisis, guns, housing and infrastructure? Yes we do. I hope our leaders will find middle ground on some of the issues if not all of them. When JFK became President his advisors told him to pick just two issues while he was eager to solve all the issues at hand. It was the best advise he and every president since then received. We hope Trump heeds the same. We can pick in pairs. Border security and immigration. Healthcare and opioid crisis. Housing and guns. But we must agree to do something. We cannot just agree to disagree anymore.
10
@SridharC. Thank you. There are way too many themes trying to start up at the same time. First let’s see some anti-shutdown and anti-poison pill legislation. Before anything else. Why in the world are we even talking about anything else until this is resolved?? Then, a fact-based plan for border security and immigration. We’ve only got three weeks.
Extremely sensible advice, only tackling a couple of major issues at a time.
11
Another Trump Shutdown would be a disaster for our country and our economy. People have had enough - no more holding the country hostage for this stupid wall.
Lets discuss immigration reform in a logical and thought out manner.
REAL immigration reform is going to have to start with ideas that both sides can agree upon. Trump demanding a wall or nothing is like Democrats demanding full citizenship for DACA kids or nothing - Those things just are not going to happen on either side, at this point.
9
The Paycheck Fairness Act should fly through the House but may get snubbed by the Senate. I think it needs some positive publicity so the bill will be harder to ignore. I would like see some legislation to make it harder or more painful for the parties involved to cause future government shutdowns. Federal workers need more assurances than just endless C.R.s. Also I would like to see an end to the practice of linking noncontroversial bills with poison pill bills like BDS. They put lawmakers voting on the packages in a bind. The intersting thing in all this upcoming legislation is how irrelevant it renders the border wall.
7
If the equal pay bill is passed will women actually see an increase in their paychecks?
There are many ways businesses both large and small can meet this requirement, and if a company does not increase their revenue, reducing men’s pay may only be the most cost effective measure they can take.
3
That isn't going to happen. I've worked for 38 years in my industry to reach the pay I've earned. I WILL NOT take a pay cut. Not now, NOT EVER.
The first order of business is to pass legislation that forbids government shutdowns. Do it now while it's fresh in everyone's mind.
If Federal employees are contractually obligated to show up for work and contractually obligated to never strike or walk-off the job, commensurate, the Federal government should be obligated to pay their employees even during a Congressional impasse on budget negotiations aka, a shutdown.
Put the pain with the blame. If Congress and the White House cannot successfully execute their job by passing a budget, then it is Congress and the White House that should not be paid.
Congress and the Administration failed the nation; not the folks who keep our nation and airlines safe, who work to preserve our National Parks for generations to come, who keep our air and water clean and safe to breathe and drink, who generate revenue and pay refunds, in short, who keep our nation running.
Government is not the bastard child of the Constitution.
27
@LivingWithInterest
They should enact a law to allow the federal government operates at previous year's level of appropriation automatically if the Congress and the President cannot enact a new one.
8
@William W.
I like that idea and it makes sense.
The previous year's funding level, however, should not become a tool to reduce government or government services by simply choosing to not negotiate a new funding level.
That could become a pernicious tactic.
5
Whatever new safeguards (if any) get put in place, someone will figure out how to weaponize them for political gain. What we need to do at the same time is elect representatives and senators and presidents who can actually legislate without using every law, regulation, even rule of etiquette as a blunt object to beat each other up with.
1
I am grateful to Nancy Pelosi for holding firm, with common sense. If we have a "national crisis," it's surely the opioid crisis, not the border. We need to listen hard to those actually on the border. I
I deeply hope that (1) legislation will be passed denying any one person the right or ability to shut down the government. Also, (2) we need a legal definition of "national crisis," if one does not exist. 9/11 was, to my mind, an example.
20
But wait, It’s not over. Democrats merely got 3 weeks to pass a bill including funds for a physical barrier metaphorically known as the wall. If they do, expect DJT to gloat about it at the SOTU and all the way to 2020. If the Pelosi House doesn’t- the GOP Senate certainly will- then they become the new owners of the shutdown.
6
@Qcell
No, I don't think so.
It's the same stand off different day, and the first stand off did not go well for trump. His prospects of getting his wall are even worse now, and people will rightfully give him 100% of the blame if he shuts it down again.
8
@Qcell
What is it about Trump's base and illiteracy? And logic and reason? Are literacy and critical thinking merely the pretensions of the "elite"? Do citizens and their leaders make better decisions by not thinking clearly? The correlation seems inescapable.
18
I'm not in "Trump's Base", but I am in the middle of the illegal alie. issue. If you don't think it's a problem, them you are either willfully looking the other way, or they just haven't reached your neighborhood yet. 22 million illegal aliens IS a major problem. There is a lot more to it than just getting votes for the Democrats.
5
Really? A toothless equal pay act? Really?
Speaker Pelosi has emerged from the debacle of the Trump shutdown as the most powerful House Speaker in a generation and arguably the most powerful elected woman in U.S. history.
Instead of using this opportunity to pass a token equal pay bill, the house Dems should promote an ambitious agenda and pass meaningful legislation on infrastructure, environment, education and campaign finance.
4
@Celeste
Wouldn't it be great if Nancy Pelosi where President!?
9
Right now the Government Intelligence Committee is an oxymoron.
3
In order to stop investigations, and prevent Mr. Mueller getting official transcripts of people who lied under oath, the 'freedom caucus' drags its feet to seat Repubs. Nunes, Jordan, and others, took an oath to defend Our Constitution but continue to block and try to bury the truth. They too work for Putin, not America.
5
"Even lawmakers in Mr. Trump’s party, many of them rattled by the costs of the longest shutdown in the nation’s history, have signaled they are eager to broaden their work, in part to lower the temperature around immigration talks and show voters they can govern."
Republicans prove time and time again that they do not KNOW how to govern, that they to not WISH to govern, and that they are INCAPABLE of governing.
They are only capable of being AGAINST good government, because at bottom, they do not believe that government is a good thing.
That sentiment has been the case since at least the time of Reagan, who said "In this present crisis, government is not the solution to our problem; government is the problem."
January 20, 1981: From Reagan's Inaugural Address.
Not exactly.
The shutdown shows that LACK of government is the problem.
18
Yes, time for Republicans to remove more Russian sanctions so Trump’s Oligarch friends can make make millions while simultaneously threatening to furlough nearly a million federal workers over the border wall Mexico refused to pay for.
5
It's hard to begin anew.
Senator Ernst, Republican of Iowa, accidentally revealed earlier this week that her husband had violently abused her and that she was the victim of campus rape.
(Senator Ernst, we are all so sorry.)
Please recall that Ernst voted to approve Mr. Kavanaugh because (a) "there was no corroborating evidence" and (b) hers was a "vote for innocent until proven guilty."
The "innocent until proven guilty" criminal standard is not a high bar for Supreme Court justices.
Setting that canard aside, Ernst told us herself this week that she refused to go to the hospital, and did not tell therapists about the abuse and rape.
(Senator Ernst, we do understand why you did this. We still believe you.)
Ford, on the other hand, did talk to others, including medical professionals, about what happened to her.
As we all know, the Republican hearing (circus) devolved into yet another assault on Ford. The histrionic, raging, out-of-control Kavanaugh made things much worse.
What in the world are we to make of this?-- Ernst's statements and actions at the time about Ford were just so darned indecent, immoral, dishonest, and self-serving. Why did Ford deserve so much less than Ernst would have wanted for herself?
216
@Robert,
There's no rational explanation for the behavior of any Republicans. The best that we can do is vote them out of office and let them find their own way back to sanity. Though a dark part of me does hope that Ms. Ernst loses her golden US Senator health insurance, just so she can experience how the other 90% lives.
Perhaps Ms. Ernst would like to be viewed as a victim (#MeToo!). I don't know, and I really don't care.
All of this madness only confirms for me that we can only evaluate our elected representatives on the basis of what they do, not what they profess to be doing. I don't elect them to be my friends, but to get the job done.
Perhaps Ms. Ernst has (or believes she has) good intentions, but her actions are destructive. Then what does it matter, from a practical perspective, whether she was a victim or a perpetrator?
I just want her to get out of the way of actual progress.
29
@Duane McPherson
Thank you for your reply. I agree. All we can do is vote the Trump Republicans out of office. It looks like there is little we can do or say to convince the Trump base to return to the real world and sanity. They will have to do that on their own.
3
How will don handle his new reality
A Woman is domineering him ?
4
@Jack . Two women: Pelosi and Coulter.
7
@Jack: Probably about the same as Hillary felt when Trump overwhelmed her.
1
@JM
Three women: Pelosi, Coulter, and Ingraham! :-)
3
Call it a down payment on border security with the subsequent installments to come as serious efforts are made to collect evidence on best practice, possibly to include some spending on a physical barrier if it is deemed to work and other spending on other proven security techniques.
In the interim, bag the rhetoric about drugs, criminals and rapists streaming across the border and about medieval techniques for the 21st Century. All this does is to entrench partisan antagonists in their untenable positions and to prevent progress on a real solution.
5
subpoena trump's tax returns immediately
129
It is important to get on the bench more conservative judges that President Trump promised to the people during his campaign. This should be one of the top priorities of the Republican senate. He has made great headway in his appointments but must continue appointing highly qualified candidates, Also, hopefully William Barr will be confirmed as attorney general. He is highly qualified and will be an excellent choice.
3
@WPLMMT Barr is a Trump zombie; will do everything Trump says. McConnell picked Trump's conservative Judges; America is being driven back to 1950 because of it. Ray Sipe
37
What did Pelosi win? Nothing. All she did was sweetly smile, repeat a faint "no" and pretend she cared about those poor unpaid federal workers.
What did Trump lose? Nothing. He just got more time to bluster and flex.
Hopefully during the next three weeks saner politicians in both parties pressure or bypass their leadership to negotiate a workable solution. First on their agenda ought to be legislation making any shutdown impossible by funding the government at the current level pending legislated appropriation.
4
@GWB
Funding at the current level pending legislated appropriation? Why assume that will even happen when its much easier for Congress to use these continuing resolutions than it is to develop annual budgets. Agencies will be unable to develop or plan for their programs because they won't know how much money they'll get or when they'll get it. It'll be a waste of money, brains, and time.
1
In an impasse, caving can become the power position because it becomes viewed as compromising. DJT has given 3 weeks for the Democrats to come up with a bill that includes funds that includes a physical barrier- aka “wall “. The GOP Senate will. But, the Pelosi Democrats change their position? If not, they will inherit ownership of further shutdowns. Reports of DJT demise is premature.
6
@Qcell Trump crumbled like wet cardboard
13
@Qcell
Trump is the only grown up in the room at this point. He acquiesced at great political cost.
Pelosi for President! She has the experience, maturity, and ability to stand up and refuse to be bullied.
16
@RSSF: And it'll give her a prime opportunity to make a few more tens of millions of dollars while "serving" the nation in the twilight of her life.
7
@Joe Schmoe: Nah, that’s what Trump is doing violating thecemoluments clause on a daily basis. Pelosi’s record is spic and span on integrity.
11
Trump's promise to "build the wall" has an underlying xenophobic sentiment driving a movement to reduce immigration and increase deportation of illegal immigrants. Trump and his remaining base will not be satisfied with any wall - whether made of steel or concrete. With or without a wall, international social-political instability south of our borders will continue to drive people to seek refuge in our country. The fundamental issues surrounding legal immigration and asylum must be addressed by Congress - in concert with any new walls.
8
More gaslighting, Spin, spin, lies and more lies. " “If you’re the president of the United States, and you know that you have to defend the nation, do you want to shut the government down? No,” Mick Mulvaney, the White House chief of staff, said on CBS’s “Face the Nation.” ....YES Trump bragged, owned it, and did it......
“Do you want to declare a national emergency? No".....YES and Trump has already threatened he will follow thru chasing folly....."But you do need and want to defend the nation.”.....How can Trump be in Putin's back pocket and be for the American people at the same time? Enough is enough, and too much stinks with this administration.
22
Love the photo. " Nancy " has such large, powerful hands and long fingers.
Just saying.
23
Hard to believe she behaves as a speaker of the house, more like a speaker of Democratic only! The house (both Democratic and Republican) is supposed to work for all Americans interests, instead of just Democratic interest in leadership PART of Legislative branch in cornering the Executive branch from day one!
4
@Humble You guys had two years of single party rule. What are you complaining about? The voters rejected your policies and your leader.
97
First of all, at least so far, Pelosi has kept Trump from wasting tens of billions of your taxes as well as mine on an ineffective device whose only "value" is to further destroy our country's historic role as a haven for refugees. Of course, Rs wouldn't see it that way. Second, what did Paul Ryan do to be Speaker for Americans of both parties other than till over for Trump's goals of empowering the mega rich and foreign dictators? Don't make me laugh.
33
With the Pelosi Shutdown on a 3 week vacation, what will the Speaker get done to defend our southern boarder and put down the invasion we are witnessing. Clearly the Speaker cares more about the .Illegals pouring across our border than American Citizens.
Shame on her!
9
@BC Don't you read the news or look at reports other than those put out by Trump or Fox? There is no invasion on the southern border, except in their minds. The statistics prove it, unless, of course, you ignore statistics which do not agree with your preconceived views. The democrats want to set up rational and viable border security, not flashy, do-nothing walls. And, if you believe your esteemed president, it was his shutdown, he was glad to take responsibility. Until he had to. Sad.
50
@BC. Boy O Boy - great expression of sarcasm. The EMPLOYERS of these illegals are the real problem. Make the penalty for hiring illegals so that the employer sees no value. If the expected ‘savings’ from hiring illegal is $10/hr it is about $25k/ year. Make the penalty for EACH illegal employed $250k. That fine pays partly for border security and to fund educatio/ training programs.
10
@BC Trump shut the Govt down. There is no invasion.
24
The president needs to watch that cartoon on how a bill becomes law. He is interfering in legislation, and he is not a legislator.
From the U.S. House of Representatives, the Speaker of the House sends the bill to one of the House standing committees. who review, research, and revise the bill before voting on whether or not to send the bill back to the House floor... debated... voted on, and if passed, it is referred to the Senate. Rinse and repeat.
Only if it passes does it go to the president. Trump has no role except on the sidelines until then. He can sign it, veto it, or have it pass by a pocket veto.
Maybe Trump wants to cheat again -- stiff the federal workers with another shutdown that will harm citizens and the economy -- or declare a nonexistent emergency. Legally that won't fly.
Walls are not just medieval. They are Neolithic. And the Neolithic walls of Jericho came tumbling down. They don't work. Concrete was Roman, and we aren't in an Iron Age either.
Catch up to the 21st century, GOP.
23
Democratic legislation to expand voting rights, make political giving more transparent and eradicate partisan gerrymandering.... is the whole ball of wax.
The Grand Old Pirates run on theft, deception, electoral legerdemain, dark money.\ and hijacked elections.
Let the House pass a new Voting Rights and Election Integrity Act.
If the Russian-Republican Senate rejects democracy, then let the American people see in broad daylight that Republicans can't stand democracy.
And let the 2020 blue tidal wave wipe these right-wing seditionists off the political map.
234
Democrats will only expand voting rights to non-citizens as long as they pledge their votes to the Democrats.
3
@MDCooks8
Thanks for your communique from planet mushroom.
60
@Socrates--we have no idea who the eventual Democratic nominee is going to be. Look how crowded the field of Democratic presidential nominees is getting. The Democrats also have a lot of problems to contend with such as the Centrist Democrats vs Left wing progressive Democrats. Therefore it's little premature to predict a blue tidal wave. Democratic presidential candidates have always had big problems winning in the battleground states. Florida, Ohio and Pennsylvania determine who wins the presidency.
How many more years are we going to have to wait for that long promised bipartisan infrastructure legislation? A bridge collapsed in my city last year yet politicians stay fixated on a mythical wall on a border far from where the proposed budget of $5.7 billion is really needed.
49
"Politicians"? Gee, I wonder who that might be? Certainly starts and ends with "GOP"! You don't seriously think this is a pix on both their houses issue, do you? Really?
11
@HMP. The Republican Party is the problem. It's not "politicians"; only Trump who want the wall. Republicans don't believe in a functioning government. That was self evident when they controlled the Senate, the House and the Presidency and the only thing they accomplished was a tax break for the 1%. The 'both sides are at fault' argument went out the window around 2008 when Mitch McConnell vowed to obstruct everything President Obama did.
15
So, when will the House Republicans finally get around to naming members to House Intel?
I came to this story specifically for that information and was flabbergasted to find absolutely no mention of the fact that they STILL haven't finished their committee appointments.
Can you please update the story to include that? It's pretty important information. How can Congress "start again" without a critical committee?
156
House Minority Leader McCarthy pledged on one of today's Sunday morning political programs that anxiously awaited Republican members of the Intelligence Committee shall be named next week. Accordingly. Chairman Schiff will be able to get those Nunes's-secreted testimonial transcripts to the Mueller Investigation in the near future. Hopefully, they haven't somehow grown legs and "disappeared".
23
Building the border wall is very much the common sense, regardless how you tweaked it. Trump is absolutely right on this, as urgent as we need to stop China from abusing the WTO regulations in illegal government subsidies and technology theft.
Nancy should stop just your personal ego and work with President Trump, as the government is reopened
11
@Humble Why do you denigrate the Speaker of the House by calling her by her first name instead of her title? Because she's female? Uh-huh. You call our erratic president by his title.
28
@Humble What part of California do you live in? Have you ever even seen the border? I've seen it from the Pacific to the Arizona state line. Most of the terrain is not suitable for walls.
27
@Humble The wall will not work. China is not our main enemy; Russia is. Russia hacked our elections. Trump attacks China because Russia is his bud and China is weaker. Trump has an ego the size of the Moon
13
It's downhill from here for Trump (No honorific for you!), I hope, pray and shall work.
8
In the past weeks Trump has inflicted (with their acquiescence) severe damage on the GOP, and they know it.
So now is the time for the House, the branch of Congress most recently and directly answerable to the people, to act on their behalf—
Firmly and fairly.
17
The pathetic reality is that they had to reopen the government before most people realized how unnecessary most of the government is. Most of us didn’t miss a beat during the shutdown. It absolutely positively is proof that our government is way too big and doesn’t serve the majority of the people. That is not what the founders of this country intended but that is was happened. For example, how many Federal law enforcement agencies do you need? FBI, ATF, Border Patrol, and ICE are just a few examples. The overlap is ridiculous and worse yet they often fight over jurisdiction. Even sadder is the fact that they were worried about the economy impact.
6
Um hello? Most government workers were forced to work during the shutdown. Otherwise, all air travel would’ve been grounded, no one would be guarding the border , the President or the WH, or processing tax refunds! And no one would be guarding federal prisons.
80
@Mike L
So you'd like to risk eating contaminated food? Fly when there aren't enough air traffic controllers to monitor the skies, to name a few examples of the need for government? Just wondering.
62
Exactly, the federal government is too big and too excessive in some areas. Obama administration expanded significantly and irresponsibly in his previous 8-year terms. It’s about time to fix that!
1
Making public Trump's tax returns should be high on the list—
Especially since polls show wide support for this.
222
swrdm Boston
Remember how the polls said that HRC would win in November 2016?
@John Murray Remember how Trump was going to release his tax returns if elected?
11
@toomuchrhetoric
Precisely when and where did our future President say he was going to release his tax returns?
Just about everyone except Mick and Rudy knows that the wall is just something for Trump to throw a big disgraceful tantrum. I think the Democratic House is just getting started and that they are very serious about having hearings. The likes of Jared, Ivanka, Don Jr, Eric and his wife along with many others should be quaking in their boots, did they think heir actions had no consequences? I suspect Trump will turn on Mick like he has on so many others.
37
You've neglected to mention the House Intelligence Committee, where things are not beginning anew. In order to prevent the Intelligence Committee from sharing its results with Mr. Mueller, the House Republicans have refused to seat anybody. In other words, the House Republicans are still slavishly, immorally, and dishonestly protecting a corrupt, unfit president and likely traitor who is still squatting in in the people's house.
274
@Robert I am surprised this story isn't being covered more by the MSM. The GOP is obstructing the oversight responsibilities of the House Intelligence Committee. Devin Nunes and Leader McCarthy belong in prison.
136
@Robert
Yes exactly. The media must lead for a few days with this act to protect corrupt Republicans.
In the Senate, Dems must take whatever similar minority actions they can.
22
Given your point that House Republicans are stalling to seat their House Intel committee members, I want to know:
WHY?
I want to know how Russian money has supported Nunes and his followers.
I want to know why elected representatives so stubbornly reject democracy and truth. I want to know exactly how high their price is to so spectacularly fail is all.
49
Democrats need to pound, pound, pound that there are a number of issues that are far more important to America and Americans than a simple Trump narrative that there is "American Carnage" that can all be blamed on immigrants and can only be fixed by Donald alone.
24
After liberals engaged in age discrimination to try and get rid of Nancy, she takes Donald to the woodshed. Love it! Keep it up, Nancy!
50
@Mike
And that's after party moderates tried to dismiss Bernie's candidacy in 2016 because of his age. Rich.
6
@sthomas1957 Huh? Hillary was 69 on the day of the election. If "party moderates" were discriminating by age, how did she get the nomination?
Nice try!
6
And, traditional GOPs who still have a soul will support Democrats so they can challenge Trump in 2020.
God bless them. But it would give the WH to Democrats in 2020. I can just hope.
9
"In the Senate, Republicans will try to push through a bipartisan Middle East policy bill that includes a disputed provision targeting the movement to boycott, divest from and sanction Israel."
It is beyond gobsmacking that the Senate of the United States is trying to pass a bill that would infringe on US citizens' 1st amendment freedom of speech.
19
American federal workers are the most spoiled in the world.
The last thing they need is a raise.
2
Do you care to elaborate?
13
@Rolf
What is the basis of your statement? The federal employees with whom I am most familiar are Ivy-league (or equivalent) educated men and women who could be making much more money in the private sector. They have chosen to work for the government because they believe that government performs essential functions for the public good. They have not been supported by much in the way of raises over recent years, and they receive far less in terms of pensions and other benefits than they used to. Not everyone is perfect, but as far as I'm concerned, the country is lucky to have them.
87
@Jo: How do you know what fraction of federal workers chose that route because they couldn't cut it in the private sector, or didn't want the stress and job insecurity? One visit to your local post office will quickly convince you that very few federal employees chose their job because of an altruistic desire to work for the public good. Please. Give us a break.
2
Mulvaney says Trump is all in for another shutdown in three weeks, the last one having turned out so well. Majority Leader McConnell says there's no education in the second kick of a mule. So how many kicks will it take for Republicans to wise up?
66
@james haynes
McConnel first made the crack about the second kick of a mule in 2013, after, I don't know, the third failed effort by Rs to extort policy by shutting the gov't?
Maybe the Senator from Kentucky's been kicked in the head by a mule so many times he's lost his ability to count.
18
How many times must you hear that the guy in charge of your country is a fake? His father gave him his fortune and paid for his degree (clearly he is not educated) he lost his fortunes four times to bankruptcy, he can’t string a coherent sentence together, his ego to get a wall built so he can call it the “ Trump wall” shutdown part of your government for a month and probably made some poor government workers bankrupt.......yet you still support him.....what is wrong with the “ land of the free” ???
321
The President has destroyed himself, his party , and if he’s in office much longer , the country as well.
94
I feel more unsafe knowing I may be the victim of a home bred mass shooter as long as gun control is not under control. Those caravans of women and children pose absolutely no threat to me and my family and I strongly reject this fear mongering cry of "keeping America safe."
187
How mass shootings have occurred just this month? And not by immigrants.
38
Democrats will try to do something positive. GOP will kill anything Democrats try to do. Nothing will be accomplished for two years. Ray Sipe
42
The president may be spoiling for another border wall fight but Senate and Congressional Republicans are not. The once-solid GOP was splintered into factions with anger bubbling over because of the president's needless shutdown that had their constituents demanding an immediate end to the impasse. Clearly, Republicans have had enough of shutdown posturing and the country won't stand for an encore.
For the next three weeks, the president and Republicans hope to save face from a stinging defeat by Speaker Pelosi and will try to minimize their political losses.
Since the president's surrender last Friday, America's southwest border has not been threatened by caravans or terrorists. Americans have nothing to fear but the president himself.
468
@silver vibes
What " stinging defeat" ?
After a near 35 day partial shutdown the government of the United States will be open for 21 days under an off the books continuing resolution.
Tweeting and speaking nicknames and slurs while watching Fox News and playing golf is not fighting.
Whoopee!
2
Bravo...your last few words are brilliant.
3
I believe it was Albert Einstein who said something along the line that "the insanity is trying the same remedy over and over again and expecting a different result."
If Trump continues on with his border wall demand, he and his supporters are certainly in that place referred to by Einstein.
25
@LynnBob
P.S. And please, NYT, stop making statements along the line of "Mr. Trump is threatening to shut down the government again in less than three weeks if Congress cannot reach a deal that provides him money for a wall along the southwestern border . . . " and nothing more.
Trump's campaign pledge was that ". . . Mexico would pay for it." Remember? That was a major hook for many Trump supporters. To ignore it is ignoring political reality and the important role of propaganda here. I have neighbors who were only for the wall because "Mexico was going to pay for it."
38
This would be a useful business as usual report on Congress, inquiring whether "divided government can produce results," if the government was operating as usual, or if "divided government" was the real challenge facing congress.
With his shutdown--his unequivocal demand that congress pass a law that it didn't want to pass--Trump was in fact seeking to unify the government under his authoritarian will. That's not an exaggeration. He was demanding a funding bill that the constitution assigns congress, and particularly the House, the power to produce.
This isn't business as usual. And it's only divided government insofar as one party--the Republicans--is seeking precisely the demolish the tripartite division of government set forth in the United States Constitution, while the other party, the Democrats, seeks to preserve that tripartite division. How does the Times not see this? Trump is again threatening to shut the government, for the exact same reason. As the days pass I scratch my head and wonder when the nickel will drop, and the Times will finally catch on to what's happening.
23
Before any other business and definitely before Feb. 15, please Congress, outlaw government shutdowns once and for all. You must do it for the good of the country.
We cannot go through another shutdown.
592
I agree. If federal government employees can’t strike, them the government shouldn’t be able to shutdown.
109
I suggest that there must be a vote in both chambers before another shutdown is enacted that only includes no pay for Congress and not the Federal employees.
57
@sashakl
GOP introduced the End Government Shutdowns Act on January 11, 2019. The main architect is Sen. Rob Portman (R-OH) who has introduced this legislation into every congress he's been involved in since 2010.
I prefer seeing it as a bipartisan endeavor, but regardless, this may be Senator Portman's year to push it through.
50
Nothing has changed. Oh, the government is open again--for now--but the president's chief of staff, Mike Mulvaney, said earlier today that his boss has not relented on border wall funding. He emphasized a structure and not technology and said the president will seek enforce the laws by declaring an emergency if he needs to.
With an entire weekend with which to digest the awful fact that he did, in fact, capitulate to Nancy Pelosi, the president seems poised to fight back the only way he knows--with threats. He could, in reality, de-fund the government again in three weeks. Whether he understands that will fracture the Republicans on The Hill is in serious question. With his presidency's ship now taking on water at the club level--not in steerage--the captain of the listing vessel is in a panic mode and is desperate to please his supporters.
With the Democratic-controlled House now ready to discuss legislation that will benefit more than the president's 35%-40% of his MAGA nation, Donald Trump now finds himself in a rare situation: Democratic opposition and melting support from Republicans who know that they cannot side with him on another government shutdown.
He has stoked animosity to himself on both sides of the aisle and he has precious small room for maneuvering. If ever there was time for statesmanship, it is now but that virtue is something that this president has never owned nor has he sought it. He is confrontational to the core and it has destroyed his office.
480
I wonder why there is so much hatred for this President in the USA. Is it not true that past presidents wanted the wall and bills were passed previously on them? Even more money and longer walls?
Why passing a bill and refusing to implement it. The USA embassy was also to move to Jerusalem long time ago having passed a bill on it yet no president ever implemented it until Trump came. I think there is a lot of hypocrisy in all these. I was told that Democrats wanted this wall until Trump wanted it. If Trump wakes up tomorrow that he is no more for walls.... Democrats would move to the other side- build the wall. A president should not be this hated especially if he is objective. If most Americans want a form of barrier and “boarder patrol do too” then what are you fighting the president for for demanding for the wall? Could it be that some people are afraid that Trump will get credit for it as an advantage for re election in 2020? So many questions to ask!!!
Furthermore, the reports on the economy, jobs,stocks, etc are all showing brilliant performances under this hated president. Are those reports false?What exactly are his sins to his haters?
1
@Joseph
Why is there so much hatred for Trump?
Because Trump lies with every breath and lines his pockets at taxpayer's expense.
Add in the obstruction and Russian collusion.
I could continue listing reasons but there is not enough space to print them.
50
@Red Sox, '04, '07, '13, ‘18,
Indeed nothing has changed. But you forgot to mention the players who really matter in this charade.
Specifically and particularly there has been no change in the smiling and smirking faces of Benjamin Netanyahu, Kim Jong Un, Benjamin Netanyahu, Recep Erdogan, Rodrigo Duterte, Abdel el-Sissi, Xi Jinping,Vladimir Putin and Mohammed bin Salman.
No collusion? MAGA?
7
So Democrats intend to offer a bill which raises the pay for civilian federal employees. That's great but if those employees aren't paid at all because of a shutdown, what difference does that make? How about first offering a bill which promises not to let a shutdown ever result in the suspension of the pay of federal employees?
40
It's orchestrated photos like this that do democrats a disservice.
4
@Andreas,
What's wrong with it? I can't think of a more empowering photo than this.
42
@Andreas Strong Democratic women as opposed to all male Republican old men? Ray Sipe
30
@Andreas
Okay? I'll ask. How?
14
So Trump is threatening to shutdown the government a second time if he doesn't get his wall funding. What's that old adage? If at first you don't succeed in making yourself look completely stupid and ineffectual try, try again.
194
A man that learns from his mistake is clever....a man that repeats his mistake is an idiot!
54
@Jay Orchard fool me once, shame on me, fool me twice, you can't fool me..George Bush immortal words
3
@Jay Orchard I am not a Trump supporter, but I can tell you that his strategy of aggressive action and then retreat only to attack again after giving the "enemy" some respite is an effective procedure used successfully in military conflict. An opponent can be worn down with repeated assaults and seeming ends to the conflict only to be attacked again. Often after such tactics the opposition can be forced to surrender.
1